ALWAGHT- Under a somber sky, survivors, relatives of those killed, and activists from around the world came together at Sabra and Shatila to commemorate the victims and reaffirm their determination to preserve the memory of the massacre.
International activists from Italy, Argentina, and solidarity movements gathered at the Sabra and Shatila cemetery to mark the 44th anniversary of the massacre. Despite the rain, mourners paid tribute to the victims and emphasized that the memory of those killed remains alive.
Italian activists Caterina Mari and Eulalia Millaret stressed that remembering Sabra and Shatila is inseparable from the present situation in Palestine and Lebanon. They called for preserving the testimony of the victims and remembering those killed in subsequent violence across the region.
The activists also linked the anniversary to their efforts in their home countries, particularly campaigns urging governments to cut relations with Israel. Millaret said the passage of time has made remembrance more important, rather than less.
Italian activist Vincenzo Fullone, who took part in a Freedom Flotilla mission to Gaza, said solidarity with Palestinians continues even when activists are prevented from reaching Gaza. He described Sabra and Shatila as another place where Palestinians' history of displacement and struggle remains visible.
Argentine activist Lissandro Brusco said the gathering represents a refusal to forget and a commitment to turning memory into continued political action. For the activists attending, the cemetery remains a place where remembrance of the 1982 massacre is connected to ongoing events across the region.
