The Lebanese War was not just an internal and regional conflict but more. International and local parties were actively involved in the 15 years of fighting.
The war resulted from numerous issues like the Palestine-Israel conflict, Cold War competition, Arab nationalism, political Islam and regional politics.
These conflicts clashed with longstanding disagreements among the political elite, and in parts of the population, over the sectarian division of power, national identity, social justice, and Lebanon’s strategic alliances.
According to reliable statisticians, Labaki and Abou Rjeily (1994), over 120,000 people lost their lives during those 15 years of war.
About 20,000 people were kidnapped, and some just disappeared during the war. These people are alleged to be dead as they have not been accounted for. Nearly 100,000 had been badly injured from the battle, and close to a million people, or two-thirds of the Lebanese population had experienced displacement.
The Lebanese reputation, economy and infrastructure were shattered, especially its image as an example of cross-sectarian coexistence in the Arab Middle East.
The war involved many instances of mass violence. Due to the displacement of about a hundred thousand Palestinian refugees to Lebanon during the 1948 and 1967 mass departures, the demographic changed balance in favour of the Muslim population.
The fighting between Maronite and Palestinian forces (mainly from the Palestine Liberation Organization) began in 1975, and then Leftist, pan-Arabist and Muslim Lebanese groups allied with the Palestinians.
During the war, these allies often switched sides and weren’t constant. Israel and Syria also joined the war, fighting with different groups. Numerous peacekeeping organizations had their bases in the country during the war.
However, since the war ended, numerous elections have been conducted in Lebanon. These elections have served to weaken and even disband some previously existing militias.
The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) have also extended the central government authority to cover about two-thirds of the country.
