| Shebaa | |
| Native Name: | شبعا |
| Native Name Lang: | ar |
| Settlement Type: | Village |
| Pushpin Map: | Lebanon |
| Pushpin Map Alt: | Map showing the location of Kfarhamam within Lebanon |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location within Lebanon |
| Coordinates: | 33.3486°N 35.7486°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  |
| Subdivision Type1: | Governorate |
| Subdivision Name1: | Nabatieh Governorate |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Hasbaya District |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone1: | EET |
| Utc Offset1: | +2 |
| Timezone1 Dst: | EEST |
| Utc Offset1 Dst: | +3 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Area Code Type: | Dialing code |
| Area Code: | +961 |
Shebaa (Arabic: شبعا, French: Chebaa) is a town on the south-eastern tip of Lebanon. It has a largely Sunni Muslim population of 25,000 people. It is situated at an altitude of approximately above sea level; spread across two steep rocky mountainsides.[1] It lies adjacent to the contested Shebaa farms—which sit between the town and the Golan Heights.[2] Before 1967, residents of Shebaa farmed in the disputed Shebaa farms territory.[3]
In 1838, Eli Smith noted Chebaa's population as being Sunni Muslim and Greek Orthodox Christians.[4]
Following the 1982 Lebanon War, Chebaa became part of the Israel’s security zone with Norwegian soldiers from UNIFIL stationed in the area. One night, late January 1989, the Israeli backed SLA expelled 40 villagers, ordering them not to return. This brought the total over a period of several months to around 80. In the words of the UNIFIL spokesperson those expelled were “mostly women and children”. There was outrage when a Norbat Colonel compared IDF actions to those of the Nazis.[5] The town reverted back to Lebanese territory following Israeli withdrawal from South Lebanon in 2000.
As of 2015, the town housed several thousand Syrian refugees.[6]
| Educational establishments | Chebaa (Hasbaiya) (2005-2006) | Lebanon (2005-2006) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Schools | 4 | 2788 | |
| Public School | 2 | 1763 | |
| Private School | 2 | 1025 | |
| Students schooled in the public schools | 435 | 439905 | |
| Students schooled in the private schools | 145 | 471409 |