Israel Withdraws from Lebanon: Sovereignty Restored After 22 Years
The Israel Defense Forces completed their withdrawal from southern Lebanon on May 24, 2000, ending a 22-year occupation that began with Operation Litani in 1978 and expanded during the 1982 Lebanon War. Israel had maintained a self-declared "security zone" along the border, staffed by Israeli troops and the South Lebanon Army militia. Hezbollah's increasingly effective guerrilla campaign, including sophisticated ambushes and roadside bombs, raised Israeli casualties to politically unacceptable levels. Prime Minister Ehud Barak ordered the withdrawal, which was completed six weeks ahead of schedule after the SLA collapsed. Lebanon designated May 25 as "Resistance and Liberation Day." Israel retained control of the Shebaa Farms area, which Hezbollah used as justification for continued armed resistance, contributing to the 2006 Lebanon War.
May 25, 2000
26 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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