Litani River

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Lebanon is close to completing the disarmament of Hezbollah south of the Litani River.

• The move is aimed at fulfilling a key condition of the ceasefire agreement with Israel before the year-end deadline.

Background of the Ceasefire

• The U.S.-backed ceasefire, agreed in November 2024, ended over a year of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
• The agreement mandates the disarmament of the Iran-aligned Hezbollah, beginning in areas south of the Litani River, close to the Israeli border.

Strategic Importance of the Litani River

• The Litani River has long served as a critical geopolitical and military marker.
• During the 2006 Lebanon War, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) aimed to push Hezbollah north of the Litani River.
• This would create a buffer zone of nearly 30 km (20 miles) between Hezbollah positions and Israel’s northern border.

Renewed Focus After 2023 Escalation

• Following the escalation of conflict between Hezbollah and Israel in 2023, Israel reiterated its demand that Hezbollah withdraw north of the Litani River.
• This requirement became a central clause of the ceasefire agreement announced on November 26, 2024.

About the Litani River

• The Litani is Lebanon’s longest and largest river.
• It originates in the country’s snow-capped mountains, flows through towns and agricultural regions, bisects Lebanon, and empties into the Mediterranean Sea.