Israel’s expanding military presence in southern Lebanon has revived comparisons with the security belt it maintained before its withdrawal in 2000. Although the current Israeli-controlled zone overlaps with parts of the former occupation map, particularly along the border, the two periods represent different forms of military control.

According to a detailed report published by Annahar, 2026 occupation zone covers approximately 650 square kilometers, compared with around 1,350 square kilometers during the Israeli occupation that ended with the withdrawal in May 2000.

Since the beginning of Israel’s ground incursions in March 2026, Israeli forces have occupied around 55 villages and towns in southern Lebanon, extending between six and 10 kilometers inside Lebanese territory south of the Litani River.

Israel has also expanded its control through firepower over more than 11 additional villages and towns, allowing it to dominate these areas militarily without necessarily maintaining permanent ground forces inside them.

The current Israeli-controlled area, known as the “Yellow Line,” was established after the latest escalation and extends beyond the Blue Line, the boundary drawn after Israel’s withdrawal in 2000, stretching from Naqoura in the west to Wazzani in the east.

The current occupation is concentrated mainly in the districts of Tyre, Bint Jbeil, Marjayoun and Nabatiyeh , while parts of the Hasbaya district remain under Israeli military control and the Jezzine district, which was part of the former occupation zone, is no longer occupied.

A Familiar Map Along the Border

The geography of the 2026 occupation zone resembles parts of the former security belt, particularly in southern Lebanon’s border districts.

Before 2000, Israel controlled 171 villages, towns and farms across southern Lebanon. The occupation zone was established gradually after Israel’s invasions of 1978 and 1982 and lasted for 18 years.

The pre-2000 occupation extended across six districts:

• Tyre

• Bint Jbeil

• Marjayoun

• Hasbaya

• Nabatiyeh

• Jezzine

The current occupation zone does not cover the same territory. It is geographically smaller and does not include Jezzine, while its control over Hasbaya is more limited.

However, in the districts of Tyre, Bint Jbeil, Marjayoun and Nabatiyeh , Israel has returned to many of the same villages and strategic locations it controlled before 2000.

Tyre District: Significant Overlap With the Former Security Belt

Before 2000, Israel occupied 19 villages, towns and farms in the Tyre district.

The occupied locations included:

Naqoura, Alma al-Shaab, Yater, Tayr Harfa, Al-Jibbain, Al-Bustan, Marwahin, Shihin, Al-Dhahira, Al-Zalloutiyah, Umm al-Tut, Al-Batiyshiyah, Umm al-Rab, Layouna, Hamoul, Shamaa, Iskandarouna and Al-Bayyada.

The population of these villages was estimated at more than 22,000 people, although only around one-third remained under occupation.

The current Israeli-controlled zone has returned to many of the same border communities, including Naqoura, Alma al-Shaab, Shamaa, Majdal Zoun, Al-Mansouri, Tayr Harfa, Yater, Marwahin and Al-Bayyada.

Bint Jbeil District: The Closest Return to the Former Map

The Bint Jbeil district is one of the areas where the current occupation most closely resembles the pre-2000 security belt.

Before Israel’s withdrawal, it controlled 18 villages and towns in the district, in addition to four uninhabited farms.

The occupied villages included:

Bint Jbeil, Ainata, Aitaroun, Maroun al-Ras, Yaroun, Beit Yahoun, Kounine, Al-Tiri, Ain Ebel, Rmeish, Hanin, Debl, Al-Qawzah, Beit Lif, Rashaf, Srobbine, Aita al-Shaab and Ramyah.

The occupied farms were:

• Al-Salhani

• Samoukha

• Jabab al-Arab

• Doubiyeh

The 2026 occupation has again extended into many of these same areas, including Aita al-Shaab, Ramyah, Rmeish, Maroun al-Ras, Yaroun, Bint Jbeil, Ainata and Aitaroun.

Marjayoun District: The Heart of the Former Occupation

Marjayoun was considered the center of Israel’s former security belt.

Before 2000, Israel occupied 23 villages and towns in the district, as well as several agricultural areas.

The occupied villages included:

Jdeidet Marjayoun, Khiam, Al-Qlayaa, Wazzani, Ibl al-Saqi, Blat, Deir Mimas, Borj al-Moulouk, Kfar Kila, Deir Siriane, Blida, Mhaibib, Mais al-Jabal, Houla, Markaba, Talletousa, Bani Hayyan, Rab Thalathine, Adaisseh, Taybeh, Al-Qantara and Adchit al-Qusayr.

The occupied agricultural areas included:

Al-Qusayr, Allman, Sarda, Al-Amra, Al-Hammamis, Al-Msayseat and Al-Bouayda.

The current Israeli occupation has returned to many of these locations, including Khiam, Kfar Kila, Blida, Mhaibib, Mais al-Jabal, Houla, Markaba, Adaisseh, Taybeh and Wazzani.

Khiam remains particularly significant. During the previous occupation, the town was known for the Khiam detention center, one of the most notorious symbols of Israeli rule in southern Lebanon.

Today, however, the detention center has been demolished and replaced by an Israeli military position.

Hasbaya District: The Main Difference Between the Two Occupations

The Hasbaya district illustrates one of the clearest differences between the two occupation periods.

Before 2000, Israel occupied 13 villages and seven farms in Hasbaya.

The occupied villages included:

Shebaa, Al-Habbariyah, Kfar Shuba, Kfar Hamam, Rashaya al-Fakhar, Hasbaya, Kawkaba, Shwaya, Ain Qiniya, Ain Jarfah, Al-Fardis, Al-Mari and Abu Qamhah.

The occupied farms included:

Al-Majidiyah, Helta, Barghouz, Ghajar, Al-Nakhilah, Mazraat Salib and Dahirijat.

Today, Israeli direct occupation in Hasbaya is much more limited.

Israel controls Al-Abbasiyah, Al-Majidiyah and Ain Arab, while maintaining military oversight over Kfar Shuba, Shebaa, Kfar Hamam and Al-Habbariyah.

Some residents continue to live in these areas.

The difference is partly linked to Hasbaya’s distinct demographic and geographic characteristics compared with other southern districts. Israel also maintains dominance over the wider area through positions in the occupied Shebaa Farms and Mount Hermon.

Nabatiyeh District: Strategic Heights and Northern Expansion

Before 2000, Israeli control in the Nabatiyeh district was concentrated mainly on two villages:

• Yehmor al-Shaqif

• Arnoun

Israel also controlled two strategic agricultural areas:

• Ali al-Taher

• Hima Arnoun

In addition, Israeli forces maintained positions on strategic hills overlooking Nabatiyeh and areas near Israeli settlements.

The 2026 occupation has expanded beyond that earlier pattern.

Israeli forces have occupied Eastern Zawtar and maintain fire control over Western Zawtar, Mifdoun and Shoukin.

They have also occupied Kfar Tibnit, Yehmor al-Shaqif, Arnoun and Beaufort Castle, while maintaining control over parts of Ali al-Taher Hill.

Jezzine: The Territory That Evaded Occupation

The Jezzine district was incorporated into the Israeli occupation zone after the 1982 invasion, expanding the security belt beyond southern Lebanon’s traditional border areas.

The occupied zone included dozens of villages and farms across the district.

However, Israeli forces and the South Lebanon Army withdrew from several Jezzine-area villages in May 1999, one year before Israel’s final withdrawal from Lebanon.

Unlike the pre-2000 occupation, Jezzine is not part of the current Israeli-controlled zone.

A Smaller Territory, But a Different Occupation Model

Although the 2026 occupation zone is geographically smaller than the former security belt, the difference is not only about territory.

Before 2000, Israel controlled around 1,350 square kilometers and 171 villages, towns and farms across southern Lebanon.

The occupation relied on permanent military positions, checkpoints, populated areas and the South Lebanon Army, which served as Israel’s local partner.

The 2026 occupation covers around 650 square kilometers and includes around 55 villages and towns under ground occupation, with more than 11 additional areas under fire control.

But instead of maintaining control over populated communities, Israel has transformed many villages inside the Yellow Line into largely empty military zones.

Residents have been prevented from returning, homes have been destroyed and reconstruction has been restricted.

The result is a different form of occupation: smaller in geographic scope, but based less on administering territory and more on maintaining military dominance over a depopulated buffer zone.

A Return to Familiar Ground, but Not to the Same Past

The comparison between the two periods shows both continuity and change.

Israel has returned to many of the same villages and strategic locations it controlled before 2000, especially in Tyre, Bint Jbeil, Marjayoun and Nabatiyeh .

But the 2026 reality is not simply a restoration of the old security belt.

The former occupation was larger, lasted 18 years, covered six districts, included 171 villages, towns and farms, and relied on a network of local allies and administration.

The current zone is smaller, covering around 650 square kilometers, but has created a new military reality based on territorial control, exclusion and preventing the return of civilians.

Lebanon waited 22 years for the end of the previous occupation in 2000.

The central question now is whether the Yellow Line will remain a temporary military arrangement or become another long-term Israeli presence in southern Lebanon.