Armed GroupIL

36th Armoured Division

Israeli Defence Forces armoured division deployed to southern Lebanon in March 2026 alongside the 91st Galilee Division.

Last refreshed: 29 March 2026

Key Question

Is the 36th Armoured Division leading Israel's full ground invasion of Lebanon?

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Common Questions

What is the IDF 36th Armoured Division?: An Israeli Defence Forces armoured division deployed to southern Lebanon in March 2026, doubling the ground force alongside the 91st Galilee Division.
How many Israeli divisions are in Lebanon in 2026?: At least two: the 91st Galilee Division entered first, and the 36th Armoured Division deployed as reinforcement, signalling a shift from raid to occupation.
What tanks does the 36th Division use?: The 36th Armoured Division operates Merkava Mk 4 main battle tanks and Namer heavy APCs, optimised for the terrain of southern Lebanon.
Is Israel planning a ground invasion of Lebanon?: Israel declared it would seize all territory south of the Litani River. The deployment of the 36th Armoured Division marked the largest ground invasion of Lebanon since 2006.

Background

The 36th Armoured Division sits within the IDF Ground Forces Command and is one of Israel's three regular armoured divisions. Equipped with Merkava main battle tanks and supported by mechanised infantry brigades, it is structured for combined-arms warfare in complex terrain, including the rugged hills and river valleys of southern Lebanon.

The 36th Armoured Division is an IDF armoured formation deployed to southern Lebanon in March 2026, effectively doubling the ground force Israel had committed to the ongoing campaign against Hezbollah. The division's arrival consolidated Israeli armoured presence along the Litani River corridor and tightened the military perimeter around Hezbollah-held territory in the south.

The division's deployment coincided with Israel destroying bridges over the Litani and Qasmiyeh rivers, severing the last road links connecting southern Lebanon to the north. Lebanese officials condemned the operation as a blockade of more than a million displaced civilians, with displacement reaching one in five Lebanese nationals by the time the armoured reinforcement arrived.

Source Material

36th Armoured Division (Israel) — Wikipedia Israel Defence Forces — Ground Forces Command

How the World Sees Them

Hezbollah

The movement frames the 36th Division's presence as confirmation that Israel seeks permanent occupation of Lebanese territory rather than genuine security guarantees. Hezbollah leadership insists resistance operations will continue until every Israeli soldier withdraws from Lebanese soil.

United Nations

UN officials warned that the combination of armoured reinforcement and bridge destruction had effectively cut off humanitarian supply routes to over a million displaced civilians. UNIFIL and UN agencies called on all parties to respect international humanitarian law and restore civilian access to the south.

Israeli government

The division's deployment reinforces Israel's deterrence posture and accelerates the dismantling of Hezbollah's military infrastructure in the south. Israeli officials argue the operation is essential to securing northern communities from persistent cross-border rocket fire and tunnel incursions.

Lebanese government

President Aoun condemned the armoured incursion as a flagrant violation of Lebanese sovereignty carried out in defiance of ceasefire commitments. An operation that destroys bridges and displaces over a million civilians, officials argued, constitutes a deliberate siege rather than a targeted military action.

Regional Arab states

Gulf and Levantine governments expressed alarm that a second armoured division deployed to Lebanon signals a shift from a limited operation to a protracted occupation. Arab League members warned the move risked destabilising an already fragile regional security balance and demanded an immediate ceasefire.