Lebanese Christian militias kill at least 1,000 in Karantina, Beirut.

The 1976 Karantina massacre was a brutal event that occurred during the early stages of the Lebanese Civil War. On January 18, 1976, Christian militias, primarily the Kataeb Party (Phalange) and other right-wing factions, launched an attack on the predominantly Palestinian and Muslim population of the Karantina district in East Beirut. The area, a slum housing many displaced individuals and Palestinian refugees, had been under the control of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). The assault was part of broader efforts by Christian militias to assert control over strategic zones and eliminate perceived threats from armed Palestinian factions. The attack resulted in the deaths of an estimated 1,000 to 1,500 civilians, including women and children, and was accompanied by widespread destruction and displacement. The massacre heightened sectarian tensions and fueled cycles of retaliation, contributing to the deepening violence and atrocities that marked the 15-year civil war.