Israel withdrew its troops from the Lebanese security zone in 2000, ending its 22-year military occupation of southern Lebanon. The withdrawal was ordered by Prime Minister Ehud Barak and took place in May 2000.
Israel first invaded Lebanon in 1978 and launched a larger invasion in 1982 during the Lebanese Civil War. After withdrawing from most of Lebanon in 1985, Israel retained a narrow security zone in the south, supported by the South Lebanon Army. Israel said the zone was intended to prevent attacks, especially by Hezbollah, against communities in northern Israel.
The withdrawal was controversial and politically significant. The South Lebanon Army rapidly collapsed, and many of its members and families fled into Israel. The United Nations later determined that Israeli forces had withdrawn behind the internationally recognised Blue Line. Hezbollah portrayed the departure as a military victory, while Israel continued to stress the security threats along its northern border.