From conflict zone to state control: Lebanese Army reshapes the south

Report by Lara El Hachem, English adaptation by Mariella Succar

Since the establishment of Israel, South Lebanon has been a flashpoint and a theater for non-state armed actors. 

At various stages, the area was used by Palestinian armed factions, later by Lebanese leftist groups in their different forms, and eventually by Hezbollah — reflecting the weakness of state authority.

Today, after decades of this reality, the region is for the first time under the full control of the Lebanese army. 

The number of troops deployed in the area has increased from 4,000 to 10,000 personnel — the first such deployment since Lebanon’s independence. 

This full deployment was carried out over the past months across the entire sector, with the exception of points that remain occupied by Israel.

The first deployment of the Lebanese army south of the Litani River since the establishment of the border strip in 1978 took place after the July 2006 war, under the framework of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701.

From one regiment and two brigades, the army’s presence has expanded to two regiments, two brigades, special units, and specialized engineering units tasked with transporting and dismantling weapons and ammunition.

Since 2006, the Litani River had served as a route for transporting weapons toward confrontation zones. For the first time, the army has sealed all gaps — 11 crossings along the river — reinforcing its fixed and mobile checkpoints across the sector, which now number 35.

The army’s mission expanded from preventing weapons transport to dismantling installations and seizing arms. 

In this context, it carried out more than 330 joint operations with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and 1,230 operations independently. 


The number of seized items exceeded 200,000, including installations, weapons, and ammunition — a figure reflecting the scale of Hezbollah’s arsenal in the area.

The mission did not stop at technical measures. Protecting civilians was a core component of the plan, alongside safeguarding sovereignty. 

To that end, the army established 22 permanent observation posts facing occupied points and 12 temporary observation posts in sensitive areas, aimed at preventing friction between civilians and the Israeli army.

Along the border, Israeli forces continued incursions even after the ceasefire. The Lebanese army responded by sealing 10 border gaps, including in Blida and Yaroun.

For decades, Palestinian refugee camps also constituted security zones outside formal state control. 

Today, the Borj El Chmali, Rashidieh, and al-Buss camps, located south of the Litani, are under army authority for entry and exit, through 45 crossing points established at their entrances.

In parallel with its operations in the south, the army continued its missions in eastern and northern Lebanon, where illegal arms-smuggling routes from Syria exist. Over the past year, it closed 199 crossings in the Bekaa Valley and 373 in the north.

All of this has been carried out amid continued Israeli violations by air, land, and sea, which have exceeded 6,000 incidents since the agreement to halt hostilities.

Despite this, the Lebanese army continues its mission — calmly, steadily, and at great cost.