The beginning of the Lebanese Civil War is typically dated to April 13th, 1975, when the Phalangists attacked a bus taking Palestinians to a refugee camp. The war is complex, marked by violence between communities (Christians, Druze, Shiites, Sunnis), clashes within communities and multiple foreign interventions - invasions by Syria and Israel, and less direct interventions by notably France, the Arab League, and Iran.

Between 150,000 and 250,000 people were killed during the war and many disappeared or were exiled. In 1989, the Taif Agreement marked the end of the fighting on paper. The after-effects...