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The failed assassination attempt on Israel’s ambassador to the United Kingdom served as the catalyst for an Israeli invasion of Lebanon. On June 6, 1982, Israel launched operation Peace for Galilee, which aimed to eliminate the threat posed by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to Israel’s northern border. The PLO, along with Syrian forces, was gradually pushed back toward Beirut by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The operation lasted for three months and resulted in the elimination of the PLO’s influence in Lebanon. 

John J. Mearsheimer, a realist scholar, developed the theory of offensive realism, which offers a perspective on why states initiate aggressive behaviour towards other states. According to Mearsheimer, states strive for power maximization, with the ultimate goal of becoming regional hegemons in order to ensure their own security within the world order.

This study aims to analyse Israel’s operation through the theory of offensive realism, in order to deepen the understanding of Israel’s military strategy during the 1982 invasion of Lebanon. The study examined how Israel sought to gain control over strategically important terrain, leveraged its superior military power, and weakened the capacity of its opponents to resist. The conclusions drawn from the study indicate that Israel’s military strategy displays patterns that can be understood as power-maximizing