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Today in History: Hobeika's militia slaughters 460 in Sabra, Shatila

By Drooid · Sep 16, 2026, 10:36 AM UTC · How we work

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Summary

Story summary

On 16 September 1982, El Hobeika’s Lebanese Forces militia entered the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in Beirut, killing at least 460 civilians—predominantly Palestinians and Lebanese Shias—while the Israeli Defense Forces provided support. The three-day slaughter shocked the world and later became a focal point of war-crimes investigations.

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Story summary

On 16 September 1982, El Hobeika’s Lebanese Forces militia entered the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in Beirut, killing at least 460 civilians—predominantly Palestinians and Lebanese Shias—while the Israeli Defense Forces provided support. The three-day slaughter shocked the world and later became a focal point of war-crimes investigations.