Subdued Lebanon Liberation Day celebrations under new Israeli occupation
Key takeaways
- Twenty-six years after Israeli forces were driven out of southern Lebanon, fears of a new occupation have emerged.
- This expulsion of Israeli forces by an armed movement led by Hezbollah has been a cause of national celebration in Lebanon ever since, but this year, a new occupation in the south has dampened the mood.
- “Liberation Day is a sacred day for us,” Ali Saleh, 55, from Jwaya in southern Lebanon told Al Jazeera. “It is a holiday of victory, pride and dignity.”
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Twenty-six years after Israeli forces were driven out of southern Lebanon, fears of a new occupation have emerged.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Displaced people who fled Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon sit outside shelter tents in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, April 24, 2026 [Bilal Hussein/AP Photos]By Justin Salhani Published On 25 May 202625 May 2026Beirut, Lebanon – On May 25, 2000, the last Israeli troops withdrew from southern Lebanon ending their 18-year occupation.
This expulsion of Israeli forces by an armed movement led by Hezbollah has been a cause of national celebration in Lebanon ever since, but this year, a new occupation in the south has dampened the mood.