Lebanese Army Retreats
Lebanese Army Withdraws from Southern Village as Israeli Troops Advance Deepest Since 2000
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The Lebanese army pulled its troops out of a base in Kfar Tebnit on June 13, 2026, after Israeli tanks seized the nearby Ali Taher hill — marking Israel's deepest ground push into Lebanon since its withdrawal in 2000, according to AP. The Israeli military also issued evacuation orders for about 20 southern towns and villages, including the city of Nabatiyeh, ordering residents to move at least 45 kilometers north of the Zahrani River, Al-Arabiya reported.
The conflict has now killed more than 3,700 people in Lebanon since fighting began on March 2, 2026, when Hezbollah launched rockets into northern Israel following U.S. and Israeli strikes that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, according to The Independent. Over 1 million Lebanese — roughly 20% of the population — have been displaced.
Ali Taher Hill Falls to Israeli Tanks for First Time Since 2000
Ali Taher hill sits just outside Kfar Tebnit and overlooks Nabatiyeh, a major city in southern Lebanon. Israel held the hill for 18 years as part of what it called its "Security Zone" before pulling out in May 2000. Israeli tanks recaptured it on the morning of June 13, according to AP and Lebanese broadcaster MTV Lebanon.
Military analysts say controlling the ridge lets the IDF cut off Hezbollah's movement between the central and western sectors of southern Lebanon, according to L'Orient Today. Lebanese Army Commander General Joseph Aoun ordered what the military called a "safety-based redeployment" after the advance made the Kfar Tebnit barracks impossible to hold.
Israeli Strike Killed Lebanese Army Officers Just Days Earlier
Tensions between Israel and the Lebanese military had already been rising. On June 6, an Israeli airstrike on the Kfar Tebnit–Khardali road killed a Lebanese Army Brigadier General, a captain, and a soldier. The IDF later described the targeted vehicle as "suspicious," according to Times of Israel.
The strike dealt a severe blow to a U.S.-brokered "pilot zone" plan announced on June 3. Under that framework, the Lebanese Army was supposed to be the only security force in designated areas. The IDF's ongoing advance — and the killing of LAF officers — has effectively collapsed that arrangement, according to Al-Monitor.
Hezbollah Rejects Ceasefire as Washington Pushes for a Deal
A fragile ceasefire was first announced in Washington on April 16. It required the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah. Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem rejected it immediately, calling the framework "born in sin." Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned Hezbollah's rocket fire as "irresponsible" but also called the Israeli ground advance a violation of Lebanese sovereignty, according to The Independent.
President Donald Trump's administration says it has made "direct contact" with Hezbollah representatives for the first time and is pushing a trilateral deal, according to Al-Monitor. But Hezbollah MP Ali Fayad said the Washington talks are "trapped in Israeli blackmail." Meanwhile, the UN's special coordinator warned that the Lebanese army's withdrawal leaves a power vacuum that could push the IDF and Hezbollah into direct urban combat inside Nabatiyeh.
Southern Lebanon's Economy and Population Near Collapse
The human cost of the war is staggering. More than 1 million people have fled their homes since March, according to The Independent. The agriculture sector in the Litani and Zahrani river basins has entirely collapsed due to shelling and what L'Orient Today describes as "fire belts" — swaths of land burned to deny cover to fighters.
With the Lebanese army now retreating from the south, UN officials warn that state authority in the region is crumbling. The UN's Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert said "no argument justifies gambling the country's stability," according to a Security Council report. Israel has seized large areas of southern Lebanon since the ceasefire, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said strikes will intensify until Hezbollah is pushed north of the Zahrani River.
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