In Lebanon, Hezbollah has been watching how Israel’s new offensive will play out.
The Iranian-backed groups chose to enter the war on the side of Iran on March 2. Since then, it has been subjected to airstrikes, and Israel has launched a, so far, limited ground operation into Lebanon.
What is Hezbollah thinking? The group has launched barrages of rockets and drones at Israel, and it managed to launch around 200 rockets in one day last week. It is showing that it has not been defeated.
However, it knows that reports indicate Israel could be prepared for a long and extensive operation in Lebanon. The pro-Iranian Al-Akhbar media in Beirut has a new article on March 17 discussing “where has the enemy advanced so far,” which is interesting because it indicates how pro-Hezbollah networks are watching Israel’s moves closely.
The report claimed that a “Hezbollah military source told Al Jazeera that the Israeli military operation in Khiam was paving the way for a ground incursion towards the Litani River.”
Khiam is a village in southern Lebanon, north of the Israeli town of Metulla. The Litani meets the Mediterranean north of the city of Tyre.
Israel moves against Hezbollah strongholds, border tensions rise
Al-Akhbar noted that the Hezbollah source said, "the resistance is prepared for the confrontation and awaits the enemy forces with resolve and patience.”
Hezbollah clearly believes 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 Israel.
A second area is to the West of Metulla, 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. 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,” Al-Akhbar said.
South of this area, along the border, are the towns of Houla, Meiss al-Jabal and Markaba opposite Margaliyot. Al-Akhbar says the Lebanese army withdrew from this area.
Another section of the border is the Lebanese villages of Aitaroun and Maroun al-Ras. Maroun al-Ras 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 that Al-Akhbar mentioned in the report is the town of Rab el Thalathine, which he called a “second line” village. The report mentioned Wadi al-Salouqi in this context, which was also the site of a tough battle in 2006.
A second report in the same media outlet said that Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun wants to have talks with Israel, but that Israel is not ready to negotiate.
The report claimed Aoun wants the roughly one million Lebanese displaced since March 2 to be able to return home. He has held meetings with the French Ambassador to Lebanon to discuss this and also met locals from southern Lebanon.
The IDF said on March 17 that “in recent days, IDF troops from the 36th Division have begun limited and targeted ground operations aimed at enhancing the forward defense area. 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 also said 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 Israeli army has called operations on the border a form of forward defense. It is also called the operations “limited and targeted ground operations against key Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon, aimed at enhancing the forward defense area.”