1975 - 1976

1975, April 13 - Gunmen attack a Phalangist church gathering, in what seems to have probably been an assasination attempt on Pierre El-Gemayel. Believing the gunmen to have been Palestinian, the Phalangists retaliate later that day by attacking a bus carrying Palestinian passengers in the Ayn-al-Rummanah district of Beirut, killing 27 of its passengers. (These clashes are regarded as the start of the civil war).

1976, June - Syrian troops enter Lebanon by Christian demands not only to restore peace, but also to curb the Palestinians.

1976, October - Following Arab summit meetings in Riyad and Cairo, a cease-fire is arranged and a predominantly Syrian Arab Deterrent Force (ADF) is established to maintain it.