Fighting intensifies between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon

"Much of the fighting was concentrated around the strategic hilltop city of Khiam, with the Israel Defense Forces carrying out an air and artillery campaign against Hezbollah fighters dug into the city. Fighting escalated there after days of clashes, with a Hezbollah spokesperson acknowledging there were heightened clashes on the eastern and northern outskirts of the city."

"A Lebanese security source said that the village was one of a number of border towns that had become the site of heavy fighting, as Israel tried to infiltrate southern Lebanon through various points along the shared border. There, they had been met with resistance by members of Hezbollah."

"The war was triggered when Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel on 2 March. Israel quickly launched a military operation on Lebanon with the goal of completely eliminating Hezbollah. Hezbollah styled the war as one of survival for Lebanon, saying it was defending the country from the near-daily Israeli airstrikes on the country since the November 2024 ceasefire."

Israel is conducting a ground invasion of south Lebanon with concentrated fighting in multiple strategic locations, particularly around the hilltop city of Khiam where Israeli forces deploy air and artillery campaigns against entrenched Hezbollah fighters. Israeli troops simultaneously attempt to penetrate border towns in central and western sectors, encountering significant Hezbollah resistance. Israel has amassed substantial military resources including four brigades and tank columns along the border for an expanded operation. The conflict originated from Hezbollah's rocket attacks on March 2, prompting Israel's military response aimed at eliminating Hezbollah. Hezbollah frames the conflict as defensive, protecting Lebanon from Israeli airstrikes that resumed after a November 2024 ceasefire. The war remains unpopular among Lebanon's broader population outside Hezbollah's base.

Read at www.theguardian.com