An earlier Israeli withdrawal from the village, which took place on 16 February, had been followed up by the arrival of armed Lebanese groups who took up residence there. At the time of the incursion, the area concerned, near Nabatieh, lay under the control of both the Lebanese army and various Shiite militias, having been evacuated by the Israeli army during its withdrawal from its occupation of Lebanon, north of the buffer zone it had established further south. Zrarieh lay 2 miles north of the buffer zone.. Over the preceding two weeks, the Israeli army had engaged in three other clashes with the Lebanese army.
