Is the sale of land in the Israeli-occupied south of Lebanon banned?

Key facts#

Status

A Cabinet draft of September 2026 that still needs Parliament^[1,2]

What it would do

Bar owners in occupied towns from selling until the occupation ends^[1,2]

Buyers covered

Lebanese and non-Lebanese buyers^[3] alike, according to MP Abdel Rahman al-Bizri

Deals signed since

8 October 2023^[1]: these would need a committee's approval to be completed or registered

Excluded (as reported)

Contracts and irrevocable POAs signed before 8 October 2023, subdivided buildings, developer sales^[1]

In Parliament?

Reports conflict: referred (LBCI) or not yet arrived (Arab News)^[1,2]

Which towns

No published list^[1,2]

Occupied zone (Al Jazeera, 14 October 2026)

up to 10 km deep^[4], behind the "Yellow Line"

If you own, are buying or have signed something in the south#

1. 1
   Name the plot exactly. Write down the governorate, district (caza), real estate zone and property number, plus the section and block where they apply, as for an apartment. The registry asks for these to issue a certificate^[7,8]. You will find them on the title deed or an older extract. Ask the land registry office for the area, the municipality or the mukhtar whether the town is treated as occupied, because no list is published^[1,2].
2. 2
   Get an official extract (ifadeh aqariyeh) from the right office. Certificates are issued at the land registry office for the area where the property lies^[8,9]. According to one law firm, Legalmondo (June 2025), the official certificate is issued only in person and costs USD 5^[8]. We could not read the official fee table, and the fee may be charged in LBP, so ask the land registry office for the area before going. The same firm says certificates are public, so anyone you trust in Lebanon can request one for you. It also says no certificate is issued while a lien or a registration on the plot is still being processed. The extract shows the owner, mortgages, charges and restrictions^[5,10]. Copies from OMT outlets or online are unofficial and cannot be used for a transaction^[7,8,11,12]. More in how to get a Land Registry extract.
3. 3
   Confirm the office is working before anyone travels. In late April 2026 the Finance Minister said the Bint Jbeil and Ain Ebel registry offices could not be reached. He said the Nabatieh and Marjayoun offices kept minimum work with some staff^[13]. Ask about the current situation first. See also what happens to registry records in the south.
4. 4
   See where the plot really is. Where the cadastral plan and the ground disagree, the plan prevails^[10,14], so the plan counts for more than a fence or a neighbour's word. The Cadastre oversees sworn surveyors^[15]. We found no published procedure or fee for ordering a plan, so ask the registry office which survey documents exist for your plot. As of July 2026 the Council for the South said its inspection teams could not enter parts of the so-called yellow zone because access was impossible^[16]. A plot there may not be inspectable on the ground for now. As of October 2026 the UK Foreign Office advises against all travel^[17] to the South and Nabatiyeh governorates, and warns that travel insurance may be invalidated if you go against its advice.
5. 5
   Date every paper you hold. List the signing date of each contract, promise of sale and power of attorney, and ask the notary who drew them up for certified copies. Under the draft as reported, papers signed from 8 October 2023^[1] would need the committee's approval before registration. Sale contracts and irrevocable POAs signed before that date would be excluded.
6. 6
   Do not pay on a power of attorney or an intermediary's word alone. Forged powers of attorney have been used to try to sell or mortgage property in Lebanon^[18,19,20]. Check the POA itself (how to check a power of attorney), then check that the seller's name matches the official extract before any money moves.
7. 7
   Have a lawyer read everything before you sign. A Lebanese property lawyer can check the draft's current status in Parliament and the Official Gazette and read your documents against it. They can also tell you whether a sale or registration can go ahead now. Expect the answer to change if Parliament votes.

It depends on#

• Whether your town counts as occupied. No list exists in the sources we read^[1,2]. Ask the land registry office for the area or a lawyer.
• When you signed. Under the draft as reported, deals from 8 October 2023^[1] onward would need committee approval, and earlier contracts and irrevocable POAs would be excluded.
• The kind of property. Subdivided buildings, buildings under construction and developer sales would be excluded as reported^[1]. Have a lawyer confirm against the final text.
• The final text. Parliament may change or drop the draft, and the Legislation and Consultation Commission has declined to endorse it^[2]. Check the Official Gazette.
• Your village's local authorities. The Jabal Amel Union of Municipalities asked village mukhtars to bring any property sale to the attention of municipalities^[2]. It is a local precaution with no legal force. Ask the municipality whether it applies to your village.

Common questions#