Lebanon: Conflict Timeline.

1920: The League of Nations creates ‘modern day Lebanon’ by carving out parts of Syria to create a predominantly Christian country in the Middle East in the French sphere of influence.

1943: Lebanon gains independence from France. A 1932 census which had shown that Christians formed 54 per cent of the population is used as a basis for the assigning all levels of government bureaucracy. Roles were divided between Sunni and Shia Muslims, Druze and Christian groups allocating the Presidency to a Maronite Christian, Prime Minister to a Sunni Muslim, and Speaker of the House to a Shi’ite Muslim.

1948: Founding of the State of Israel. Palestinian refugees begin to arrive in Lebanon.

1958: Civil war narrowly averted by arrival of US troops to help reassert government authority.

1960: Palestinian groups in Lebanon launch periodic attacks on Israel. Israel retaliates with raids on Beirut.

1970: The Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) is expelled from Jordan and relocates to Lebanon.

1975: The ‘bus massacre’ of Palestinians, allegedly in response to an earlier Palestinian attack on a church, sparks the 15-year Lebanese Civil War.

1976: Syrian troops enter Lebanon in an attempt to stop the Civil War and curb Palestinian activities.

1978: Israel launches a major ground offensive, occupying southern Lebanon to the Litani river. UN resolution 425 calls on Israel to withdraw and establishes UNIFIL (UN Force for Lebanon) to oversee withdrawal. Israel withdraws, but passes control of south Lebanon to a proxy Christian militia under Major Haddad.

image by United Nations Photo, published under the Creative Commons License

1982: Full scale Israeli invasion of Lebanon after attempted assassination of Israeli Ambassador in London. Israeli forces reach West Beirut and facilitate the phalangist militias’ massacres of Palestinians in Sabra and Shatila refugee camps. Many hundreds are murdered. President Gemayal assassinated and succeeded by his elder brother. US, French and Italian troops arrive in Beirut as part of a peacekeeping force.

1983: 241 US Marines and 56 French Paratroopers killed in bomb attacks by militant Shia groups.

1985: Israel withdraws most of its troops from South Lebanon but continues to operate a ‘security zone’ through a proxy, the South Lebanon Army.

1987: Prime Minister Karami assassinated.

1989: President Mu’awwad assassinated.

1990: Civil War ends. Lebanese government re-establishes authority with Syrian help.

1996: Israel bombs Hezbollah targets and a UN base in Qana, killing over a hundred civilians. A US-brokered truce is established and another multi-national force sent in to monitor it. Israel withdraws its troops from South Lebanon.

2005: Former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri assassinated, allegedly with Syrian help, leading to huge pro and anti-Syria demonstrations in Beirut.

2006: Israel launches air attacks on Beirut after two Israeli soldiers are captured by Hezbollah, leading to over a thousand Lebanese deaths, mainly civilians, and 159 Israeli deaths, mainly soldiers.

2007: Lebanese military lays siege to Nahr al-Bared refugee camp after clashes between Palestinian militias and Lebanese army. More than 300 killed.

2008: Political deadlock spills over into violence between Hezbollah-led factions and pro-government factions. At least 80 people killed. Parliament finally elects Suleiman as President – he appoints Siniora as Prime Minister and charges him with forming a unity government. Suleiman meets Syrian President Bashir in Paris and the two agree to diplomatic relations between the two countries for the first time in 40 years.

2008 (Oct): Syria and Lebanon establish diplomatic relations.

image by United Nations Photo, published under the Creative Commons License

2009 (June): Saad Hariri is appointed Lebanon’s Prime Minister, after the pro-Western alliance wins the parliamentary elections against Hezbollah.

2009 (Nov): Saad Hariri succeeds in forming government of national unity, five months after his bloc won majority of seats in parliament.

2009 (Dec): Lebanon’s cabinet endorsed Hezbollah’s right to keep its arsenal of weapons.

Hariri visits Damascus for talks with President Bashar Assad, describing the talks as friendly, open and positive.

2010 (July): Lebanon’s most eminent Shia cleric, Grand Ayatollah Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah, dies.

2010 (Aug): Lebanese and Israeli troops exchange fire along border; two Lebanese soldiers, a senior Israeli officer and a journalist are killed.

2010 (Oct): Amid signs of heightened sectarian tension, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad pays controversial visit to Lebanon that culminates in rally held at Hezbollah stronghold near Israeli border.

2011 (Jan): Government collapses after ministers from Hezbollah and its political allies resign, after disagreement about the UN backed inquiry into the death of Hariri’s father in 2005 that they feel would indict Hezbollah members.

2011 (March): Protests have been reported in support of the wider revolutionary movements in Bahrain and other countries. The protests in Lebanon have not gathered as much momentum as in other countries, neither have they had as much coverage. Many of the protests have centred around the collapse of the goverment.

2011 (June): Success in forming a new cabinet; Hezbollah and its allies are given 16 out of 30 seats.