The Tel al-Zaatar massacre unfolded during a period of intense violence in Lebanon known as the Lebanese Civil War, which began in 1975 and lasted until 1990. The camp was home to a large population of Palestinian refugees, and tensions had escalated due to the growing divisions between various Lebanese Christian and Muslim factions, as well as the Palestinians, who were often caught in the crossfire of these conflicts. By the summer of 1976, the Lebanese Forces, a Christian militia led by Bachir Gemayel, initiated a siege on the Tel al-Zaatar camp, aiming to eliminate the Palestinian presence in the region and assert control over the area. The siege lasted for several months, culminating in violent attacks that resulted in a significant death toll among the civilians trapped in the camp. Witness accounts describe horrifying scenes of violence, including indiscriminate killings and brutal assaults on the inhabitants. The inability of international organizations to intervene effectively only exacerbated the situation, and the lack of humanitarian relief highlighted the dire circumstances in which the residents found themselves. After the siege, reports detailed the scale of the massacre and its impact on the Palestinian community in Lebanon, sowing seeds of resentment and long-term repercussions for Lebanese-Palestinian relations.