Le massacre s'inscrit dans un cycle de violence entre les chrétiens et les musulmans depuis 1976[6]. La famille et la fiancée d'Hobeika sont tuées par des miliciens palestiniens et leurs alliés libanais durant le massacre de Damour en 1976 (lui-même en représailles du massacre de Karantina)[7],[8],[9]. Hobeika devient par la suite parlementaire et occupe des fonctions ministérielles[10]. Entre 300 et 400 miliciens de diverses factions prennent part au massacre[11].
Une commission d'enquête, la commission Kahane, est chargée par le gouvernement de l'État d'Israël d'enquêter sur le massacre. Elle conclut à la responsabilité directe des phalangistes et à la responsabilité indirecte de plusieurs dirigeants israéliens lors de la conduite de cette opération, parce qu'ils n'ont pas suffisamment tenu compte du risque d'un massacre ni tenté de le prévenir[12],[13]. En 1982, une commission menée par Seán MacBride considère que, en tant que puissance occupante contrôlant les accès à la zone des massacres, Israël porte une responsabilité quant aux violences[14],[15].
En 2018, des documents diplomatiques américains déclassifiés confirment que l'armée israélienne sur place a facilité le massacre[16] ; en laissant pénétrer des miliciens en pleine nuit dans les camps dont elle contrôlait les accès, et en tirant des fusées éclairantes pendant les phases nocturnes du massacre afin que les miliciens se repèrent et poursuivent leur action[17],[18]. Selon l'historien Seth Anziska[19], le rôle de l'armée israélienne dans le drame s'inscrivait dans une stratégie approuvée par son état-major[20].
↑Cf. Rapport Kahane : « (…) the terrorists did not fulfill their obligation to evacuate all their forces from West Beirut and hand their weapons over to the Lebanese army but left in West Beirut, according to various estimates, approximately 2 000 fighters (…) This coordination between Brigadier-General Yaron and the Phalangist commanders would take place on Thursday afternoon at the forward command post. It was likewise agreed at that meeting that a company of 150 fighters from the Phalangist force would enter the camps and that they would do so from south to north and from west to east. Brigadier-General Yaron spoke with the Phalangists about the places where the terrorists were located in the camps and also warned them not to harm the civilian population. He had mentioned that, he stated, because he knew that the Phalangists' norms of conduct are not like those of the I.D.F. and he had had arguments with the Phalangists over this issue in the past, Brigadier-General Yaron set up lookout posts on the roof of the forward command post and on a nearby roof even though he knew that it was impossible to see very much of what was going on in the camps from these lookouts An order was also issued regarding an additional precautionary measure whose purpose was to ascertain the actions of the Phalangist forces during their operation in the camps (this measure is cited in section 5, Appendix B) »
↑Cf. Rapport Kahane : « Only one element, and that is the I.D.F., shall command the forces in the area. For the operation in the camps the Phalangists should be sent in. » Compte rendu du ministère de la Défense, rédigé le par Avi Dudai, concernant des instructions données par Ariel Sharon le 15 septembre. Exhibit 34.
↑Rapport de la commission d'enquête - 8 février 1983 Conclusion : « Mr Begin was found responsible for not exercising greater involvement and awareness in the matter of introducing the Phalangists into the camps. Mr. Sharon was found responsible for ignoring the danger of bloodshed and revenge when he approved the entry of the Phalangists into the camps as well as not taking appropriate measures to prevent bloodshed. Mr. Shamir erred by not taking action after being alerted by communications Minister Zippori. Chief of Staff Eitan did not give the appropriate orders to prevent the massacre. The Commission recommended that the Defense Minister resign, that the Director of Military Intelligence not continue in his post and other senior officers be removed »
↑(en) Seán MacBride et A. K. Asmal, B. Bercusson, R. A. Falk, G. de la Pradelle, S. Wild, Israel in Lebanon : The Report of International Commission to enquire into reported violations of International Law by Israel during its invasion of the Lebanon, Londres, Ithaca Press, , 1re éd., poche (ISBN978-0-903729-96-3, LCCN83178899), p. 191–2.
↑(en-GB) Charles Kaiser, « Preventing Palestine review: a fine history of Israel's negation of a nation », The Guardian, (ISSN0261-3077, lire en ligne, consulté le )