BEIRUT (Dispatches) -- On the 43rd anniversary of the Sabra and Shatila massacre, Israel has launched one of its deadliest ground invasions in Gaza, drawing immediate parallels to the 1982 atrocities in Lebanon. 
What was once remembered as a dark chapter in Palestinian history has found a chilling echo in today’s Gaza—a stark reminder that for Palestinians, history continues to repeat with blood and fire.
On September 16, 1982, Israeli-backed Lebanese Phalangist militias, under the watch of the Israeli army, entered the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in Beirut and carried out a massacre that lasted three days. 
Official figures reported 800 deaths, while eyewitnesses and journalists at the scene described a death toll exceeding 3,000—most of them women, children, and elderly civilians. Israel’s then-war minister Ariel Sharon was later found “indirectly responsible” by Israel’s own Kahan Commission. He resigned—only to become prime minister two decades later. No one was ever held accountable.
Now, on September 16, 2025, Israeli tanks and warplanes once again rain death upon a defenseless population—this time in Gaza. More than 1 million civilians in northern Gaza have been ordered to flee under bombardment. Hospitals are collapsing, infrastructure is in ruins, and mass starvation looms. The United Nations has declared the situation genocidal.
In a landmark report released the same day the offensive began, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry concluded: “Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.”
The commission called on the international community to halt the genocide and hold Israeli leaders accountable under international law.
Palestinian officials have described the invasion as a “catastrophic continuation of colonial violence.” Hamas likened Israel’s actions to “surpassing Nazi brutality,” and international law experts have warned that the forced displacement, collective punishment, and systematic targeting of civilian infrastructure constitute clear violations of the Geneva Conventions.
The onslaught has triggered a global diplomatic backlash. With 147 countries now recognizing Palestine, even traditional Western allies such as France, the UK, and Canada are reconsidering their positions. Israel’s once unshakable support from the U.S. is facing renewed scrutiny amid mounting pressure for accountability.
From Beirut in 1982 to Gaza in 2025, the aggressor remains the same. For Palestinians, this is not just memory—it is lived, relentless, and unpunished history. And for the world, it is a test: to stand against genocide, or be complicit in silence.