Litani Operation -

Battle

Following an operation by Palestinian fighters in Tel Aviv on March 11, 1978, Israel carried out a full-fledged military operation, mobilizing between 25,000 and 30,000 soldiers and invading Lebanon on the night of March 14. The invasion was officially termed Operation “Stone of Wisdom” and became better known as Operation Litani. Its stated objective was to remove the Palestinian bases along the Lebanese-Israeli border. The Israeli Army took control of the area south of the Litani River. Between 700 and 1,000 Lebanese and Palestinians were killed during the operation, and between 160,000 and 250,000 fled toward Saida and Beirut. On March 19, 1978, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 425, calling on Israel to withdraw from all Lebanese territories, and Resolution 426, creating a 4,000-strong peacekeeping force, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), to monitor the withdrawal and assist the Lebanese government in restoring its authority over the region. Three days later, the first UNIFIL soldiers arrived.