Israeli withdrawal

On 24 May 2000, Israel withdrew to the internationally marked border with Lebanon, and as a result, thousands of Lebanese SLA officials and members fled into Israel. The Israeli withdrawal allowed for access and travel within South Lebanon and the rest of the country, and notably allowed for the liberation of prisoners left in the Israeli and SLA run-prison in Khiam. Khiam was turned into a museum until it was bombed during the 2006 war. Israel's withdrawal was marked as a clear and decisive political victory for Hezbollah, the leading anti-occupation militant group in South Lebanon at the time.