Israel now occupies nearly 6% of Lebanon : State of the World from NPR : NPR

A United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) armored vehicle driving past destroyed buildings in southern Lebanon on July 22, 2026

Jalaa Marey/AFP via Getty

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Jalaa Marey/AFP via Getty

Israel launched a ground invasion of neighboring Lebanon in March, after the Iran-backed group Hezbollah ramped up attacks following the U.S. and Israel war in Iran. Israel said it was creating a “buffer zone” on the Lebanese side of the border and over a million civilians were displaced.

The U.S. brokered a ceasefire this summer, but since that time Israel has continued seizing territory and destroying villages. Lebanese residents have not been allowed to return and Israel now occupies almost six percent of Lebanon.

Our correspondent accompanied UN peacekeepers to the part of Lebanon now controlled by Israel and she tells us what she saw.

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