Why did Israel invade Lebanon in 1982?

The 1982 invasion of Lebanon was primarily driven by Israel's objective to eliminate the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and dismantle its military strongholds within Lebanon.12

Under the direction of then-Minister of Defense Ariel Sharon, who served as the principal architect of the operation, the invasion was launched on June 6, 1982. While the stated goal was to secure territory north of the Israeli border to halt PLO cross-border raids, the military campaign quickly expanded, with Israeli forces advancing to the outskirts of Beirut, which served as the PLO's headquarters.342

The conflict aimed to remove the PLO from Lebanon and create a new political reality on Israel's northern frontier. Although the invasion succeeded in forcing the evacuation of PLO forces from Beirut to Tunis, the war failed to achieve broader strategic objectives, exacerbated Lebanon's civil conflict, and resulted in a prolonged 18-year Israeli military engagement in southern Lebanon.34