[4] The withdrawal was prompted by intense military pressure from Israeli forces,[5] which had launched a large-scale invasion of Lebanon in June 1982, dubbed by them 'Operation Peace for Galilee'.

Under the agreement, brokered by Philip Habib, the PLO leadership and thousands of its fighters were given safe passage out of Beirut and dispersed to several Arab countries, including Tunisia, Yemen, Sudan, and Syria.

The withdrawal of PLO forces effectively ended its strong presence in Lebanon, marking a significant turning point in the Lebanese Civil War and in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

A ceasefire agreement between Israel and the PLO in July 1981 was effective, but Sharon and Chief of Staff Rafael Eitan required backing from the leaders of northern settlements.

Sharon outlined three objectives for the war: to crush the PLO, expel the Syrians from Lebanon, and establish a strong central Lebanese government that Israel could pursue a peace deal with.

Appointed as U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East by President Ronald Reagan, Habib mediated between several hostile parties, including the PLO, Israel, the Lebanese government, and Syria, to secure a peaceful resolution to the siege of Beirut and the wider conflict.

The negotiations culminated in a multinational peacekeeping force, composed of troops from the United States, France, and Italy, being deployed to oversee the safe evacuation of PLO fighters and to act as a buffer to protect Palestinian refugees and the local population.

[7] Israeli Defense Minister Ariel Sharon, who watched the evacuation at Beirut’s port, stated that the guerrillas had suffered a devastating defeat, one from which they would struggle to recover.