Can I still buy or sell land in south Lebanon after the draft sale ban?

Also asked as: “Buy land in south Lebanon” · “Is it legal to buy land in south Lebanon now?” · “Draft law banning property sales in occupied south Lebanon” · “Can I sell my land in the south of Lebanon?”

What the draft would do#

Finance Minister Yassine Jaber proposed the draft, and the Cabinet approved it in September 2026. It would bar owners of land, buildings, units or shares in Israeli-occupied towns of south Lebanon from selling until the occupation ends^[1,2]. Jaber says it is meant to preserve the south's identity, prevent distress sales and stop land passing to Israelis through front companies. He has also said it targets sales to fictitious individuals or companies acting as fronts^[3].

The draft would cover Lebanese buyers too. MP Abdel Rahman al-Bizri said in September 2026 that it bars sales to Lebanese and non-Lebanese buyers alike^[3]. No source we read lists which towns count as occupied. Al Jazeera reported on 14 October 2026 that Israel occupies a zone up to 10 km deep, marked by the "Yellow Line", but it did not name the villages inside it^[4].

The text is contested. Arab News reported on 30 September 2026 that the Legislation and Consultation Commission declined to endorse it, saying it conflicted with the constitutional protection of private property and that Lebanese law has traditionally guarded against acquisition by foreigners rather than restricting sales between Lebanese^[2]. The final text may differ from what was reported, and no date of entry into force has been published.

Deals signed since 8 October 2023#

LBCI reported the draft's terms. Any sale power of attorney, promise of sale or notarised sale contract for property in the occupied towns, signed between 8 October 2023^[1] and the law's publication, could not be completed or registered at the Land Registry without a specialised committee's approval. The justice minister would set up that committee. A judge would head it, sitting with two other judges, a civil engineer, a sworn real estate appraiser and two judicial assistants, and its decisions could be appealed to the civil Court of Appeals of the property's district, whose ruling would be final.

A signed contract does not make you the owner. Until a sale is inscribed at the Land Registry, the buyer has only a personal right against the seller^[5,6]. Kallas Law Firm advises inscribing the sale without delay after the deed, because until then the property stays in the seller's name and exposed to later sales, mortgages and seizures^[5]. More on a contract that was never registered.

No source says what someone who signed in this window should do now. Ask a lawyer who knows the southern registry offices, and bring them the signed document, its date and the plot number.

Why a southern deal is hard even without a ban#

A sale is registered at the Land Registry office for the area where the property lies^[7,8]. In late April 2026 the Finance Minister said the Bint Jbeil and Ain Ebel offices could not be reached, while the Nabatieh and Marjayoun offices kept minimum work with some staff^[9]. We found no published update since then. Before anyone travels, ask a lawyer in Lebanon, or the Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre at the Ministry of Finance, whether the office for your plot's area is open, issuing extracts and registering sales.

The paperwork is often weak. Arab News reported in September 2026 that many southern properties are held under older documents rather than definitive modern title deeds. Where ownership is contested, the registries issue no definitive deed, and some sales are registered only with notaries, which makes them official but not final^[2]. A notarised sale that is never inscribed does not make you the owner^[5,6].

You may not be able to see the land. As of October 2026 the UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to the South and Nabatieh governorates^[10], and it warns that travelling against its advice can invalidate travel insurance. In March 2026, according to the head of the insurers' association, Lebanese insurers were not writing war cover in high-risk areas^[11,12]. For the wider picture, see whether it is safe to buy in the south right now.

Powers of attorney and intermediaries#

Arab News reported fears in September 2026 that southern land could be sold through powers of attorney or intermediaries acting for non-Lebanese buyers, who might later resell to Israeli parties. A local campaigner also warned of backdated sales and front companies^[2]. These are fears, not established cases, but they are a good reason to look hard at who is really on the other side of a deal.

Forged powers of attorney have been used to try to sell or mortgage property in Lebanon, including the property of an owner living abroad^[13,14,15]. In August 2026 the ISF said notaries' offices in Jounieh and the Bekaa had reported documents suspected of being forged, including powers of attorney, a title deed and an identity card^[16]. Before you rely on a POA, read how to check a power of attorney is genuine.

If you are the seller and live abroad, the POA should name the property by number and location^[17,18,19]. Kallas Law Firm says a general POA is not enough to sell: it must give an express special mandate to sell^[20].