Israel Turns Araya-Kahhale Road into Trap for Hezbollah Fighters

Lebanese army soldiers and military police seal off the site of an Israeli drone strike targeting a car in the Kahhale area of Mount Lebanon (EPA)
Lebanese army soldiers and military police seal off the site of an Israeli drone strike targeting a car in the Kahhale area of Mount Lebanon (EPA)
TT

Israel Turns Araya-Kahhale Road into Trap for Hezbollah Fighters

Lebanese army soldiers and military police seal off the site of an Israeli drone strike targeting a car in the Kahhale area of Mount Lebanon (EPA)
Lebanese army soldiers and military police seal off the site of an Israeli drone strike targeting a car in the Kahhale area of Mount Lebanon (EPA)

Israel has turned the narrow Araya-Kahhale road into a trap for Hezbollah fighters and weapons transported from Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley to southern battlefronts.
Israeli drones have launched seven attacks on this route, targeting Hezbollah personnel and vehicles carrying arms.
Two of these strikes took place before Sep. 23, with the others following the escalation of the conflict.
Israeli Goals: Psychological and Military
According to military analyst Brig. Gen. Saeed al-Qazah, Israel’s strikes aim to create both psychological and military pressure.
The psychological goal, he says, is to create fear and division in communities hosting displaced people, causing tensions over possible Hezbollah presence.
“Hitting moving targets in Christian, Sunni, or Druze areas could spark local fear and mistrust toward the displaced, leading to conflicts,” al-Qazah explained to Asharq Al-Awsat.
Militarily, the Araya-Kahhale road’s narrowness and steep curves slow vehicles to about 30 km/h, making it easier for Israeli drones to strike accurately. The route is a crucial passage for Hezbollah moving from the Bekaa Valley to southern Lebanon, making it a vulnerable target for Israel.
Tensions recently flared in August when a Hezbollah truck loaded with ammunition overturned on a tight turn, leading to clashes between Hezbollah members and locals that resulted in two deaths before the Lebanese army intervened.
A Vital Route
Security expert Brig. Gen. Khaled Hamadeh calls the Araya-Kahhale route essential for Hezbollah’s southbound arms movements.
Hamadeh told Asharq Al-Awsat that this road is “closely monitored by Israeli reconnaissance aircraft, which patrol the area around the clock.”
While the route remains a vital link, he noted that Hezbollah also relies on alternative paths to deliver missiles to southern fronts.
Small vans are often used to disguise arms shipments among daily traffic, especially as missiles are crucial for countering Israeli ground forces.
Israeli Air Dominance
Recent assassinations along Lebanese roads highlight Israel’s control of Lebanese airspace and ability to track Hezbollah operatives.
Two weeks ago, a Hezbollah commander and his wife were killed on the Jounieh-Beirut road, and days ago, another operative was assassinated in the area of Aley.
The strikes are pressuring Hezbollah’s supply routes. Hamadeh suggests these arms are likely sourced from Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley or Syria and transported in stages.
Hezbollah’s persistence in transporting these weapons, despite risks, signals that it is drawing on reserves critical to its ground defenses against Israeli forces.



Israeli Army Reaches Outskirts of Litani River in Southern Lebanon

An Israeli tank loaded onto a truck being transported to the border with southern Lebanon in the Upper Galilee (EPA)
An Israeli tank loaded onto a truck being transported to the border with southern Lebanon in the Upper Galilee (EPA)
TT

Israeli Army Reaches Outskirts of Litani River in Southern Lebanon

An Israeli tank loaded onto a truck being transported to the border with southern Lebanon in the Upper Galilee (EPA)
An Israeli tank loaded onto a truck being transported to the border with southern Lebanon in the Upper Galilee (EPA)

Israeli forces have launched their largest ground incursion into southern Lebanon since the conflict began, reaching the outskirts of the Litani River near Deirmimas.

They entered the town’s edges in an effort to separate Nabatieh from Marjayoun and prepare for an attack on the town of Taybeh from the west and north.

This move also aimed to neutralize Taybeh hill, which overlooks the Khiam plain, where Israel plans to extend its operations and capture the city of Khiam.

Lebanese media reported that Israel set up a checkpoint at the Deirmimas junction, cutting off Marjayoun from Nabatieh.

They also blocked the western entrance to Deirmimas near a fuel station using earth mounds, with Israeli military vehicles stationed there. Reports also said Israeli forces prevented UNIFIL and the Lebanese army from passing toward Marjayoun.

Lebanese sources following the battle in the south reported that Israeli forces advanced five kilometers west from the town of Kfar Kila, moving through olive groves. This advance took advantage of the absence of Hezbollah fighters in Christian areas like Qlayaa, Bir al-Muluk, and Deirmimas.

The sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that this allowed Israeli forces to reach the outskirts of the Litani River for the first time since 2006, cutting off Nabatieh from Marjayoun. Israeli artillery had previously targeted this route several times, and drones had carried out strikes there.

Israel supported its ground advance with heavy artillery fire. Lebanese security sources said Israeli artillery targeted hills overlooking Deirmimas throughout Thursday night into Friday, hitting locations like Beaufort Castle, Arnoun, Yihmour, Wadi Zawtar, and Deir Siryan.

This fire typically provides cover for infantry advances. The sources also confirmed that Israeli ground movements were backed by airstrikes and drones for added security.

They speculated the advance followed a route from Kfar Kila through Tall al-Nahas and Bir al-Muluk toward Deirmimas, which is almost empty of residents and has no Hezbollah presence.

Hezbollah fired rockets at Israeli forces in the area, with three statements confirming the targeting of Israeli positions and vehicles near Deirmimas.

Media reports mentioned multiple rocket strikes on Israeli targets in Khiam and near Tall al-Nahas, as well as a guided missile attack on Israeli movements near oil groves close to the Marqos station at Deirmimas’ edge.

A photo shared by Lebanese media showed an Israeli tank behind an exposed hill east of Qlayaa, protected from the west and north. To the south, Israeli forces entered the town of Deirmimas, which overlooks the position.

Military expert Mustafa Asaad said the image, showing a bulldozer behind a tank at the Qlayaa-Marjayoun-Deirmimas junction, suggests that infantry units secured the area—either on foot or in fast vehicles—before entering Deirmimas.

The town’s mayor confirmed to local media that Israeli forces made a “small incursion” into Deirmimas, advancing through olive groves from Kfar Kila.

Hezbollah has stated it does not have military positions in Christian or Druze areas in southern Lebanon, as these communities oppose its presence. Sources close to Hezbollah say this is due to political reasons and security concerns.