Hezbollah in Lebanon is watching how Israel’s new offensive in the Land of the Cedars will play out. The Iranian-backed group chose to enter the war on the side of the Islamic regime on March 2. Since then, it has been subjected to airstrikes, and Israel has launched a limited ground operation into Lebanon.
What is Hezbollah thinking? The terror organization has launched barrages of rockets and drones at Israel. Last week, it managed to launch around 200 rockets in one day. It is showing that it is not defeated.
However, it is known that reports indicate that Israel could be prepared for a long and extensive operation in Lebanon.
The pro-Iranian Al-Akhbar media in Lebanon published an article on Tuesday discussing “where has the enemy advanced so far.” The report is interesting because it indicates how pro-Hezbollah networks are watching Israel’s moves closely.
Al-Akhbar claims that a “Hezbollah military source told Al Jazeera that the Israeli military operation in Khiam was paving the way for a ground incursion toward the Litani River.”
Khiam is a village in southern Lebanon. It is north of the Israeli town of Metula. The Litani meets the Mediterranean north of the city of Tyre. It flows from the east, coming closest to Israel north of Metula. The Litani watershed then stretches to the north.
Israel moves against Hezbollah strongholds, border tensions rise
The report quotes the Hezbollah source as saying that “the resistance is prepared for the confrontation and awaits the enemy forces with resolve and patience.”
Hezbollah clearly believes that Israel is preparing to invade more of Lebanon.
“He added that the enemy is using the occupied Golan Heights and settlements in the Galilee Panhandle as logistical support for its invading forces, emphasizing that ‘the resistance’s command and control system is operating with high efficiency in managing the military confrontation.’”
What are the points on the line that the pro-Hezbollah media is apparently watching closely?
One area is south of Khiam, near Wadi al-Asafir and Wazzani, which is next to Ghajar on the border. Hezbollah used to have flags in this area that could be seen from Israel, as well as a large billboard threatening the Jewish state.
A second area is to the west of Metula, called Kfarkela and Aadaysit.
“The two towns are considered militarily and geographically inaccessible due to the extensive destruction they suffered since the 2024 aggression and their complete lack of civilian or military presence,” Al-Akhbar reported.
“Occupation forces reached Tel al-Nahas on the second day of the clashes, where they attempted to establish earthen berms before their tanks were targeted by guided missiles,” it noted.
South of this area, along the border, are the towns of Houla, Meiss al-Jabal, and Markaba opposite Margaliyot.
Al-Akhbar said that the Lebanese army has withdrawn from this area. Another section of the border is the Lebanese villages of Aitaroun and Maroun al-Ras. The latter was the site of a battle in the 2006 war and has continued to be a threat to Israel.
“The Khanouq neighborhood in Aitaroun witnessed clashes since the first days of the confrontations, while the movements of the occupation forces in Maroun al-Ras are concentrated in the back areas of the town and in its center, which has been subjected to widespread destruction as a result of the military operations,” Al-Akhbar claimed.
Another area the report mentions is the town of Rab el Thalathine, which it calls a “second line” village. It also refers to Wadi al-Salouqi in this context. This was also the site of a tough battle in 2006.
A second report from the same media says that Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun wants to hold talks with Israel, but that Israel is not ready to negotiate.
The report claims Aoun wants to see the roughly one million Lebanese displaced since March 2 able to return home.
He has held meetings with the French Ambassador to Lebanon to discuss this and also met locals from southern Lebanon.
“In recent days, IDF troops from the 36th Division have begun limited and targeted ground operations aimed at enhancing the forward defense area,” the IDF stated on Tuesday. “Alongside the activity of the 91st Division, and following their previous deployment, the troops are continuing efforts to establish the forward defensive posture in order to remove threats and create an additional layer of security for residents of northern Israel.”
The IDF informed on Friday that “the 146th Division is operating in the western sector of southern Lebanon as part of a forward defense posture to dismantle terrorist infrastructure and eliminate Hezbollah terrorists.” The IDF has called operations on the border a form of forward defense. It also calls the operations “limited and targeted ground operations against key Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon, aimed at enhancing the forward defense area.”