Heavy clashes continue between Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters on the southern and eastern fronts of the city of Zotar. Current information indicates that Israeli forces are positioned south and east of Zotar and have been attacked by Hezbollah fighters near three locations: Bustan Zatam, the Al-Kashfi compound, the cultural complex, and Tallet al-Khazzan.
According to Hezbollah statements, Israeli concentrations in Wadi Raj and around the Litani River, Tallet al-Khazzan, and the cultural complex have been targeted with rockets, artillery, and FPV drones. Armored vehicles, including four Merkava tanks, two Jackal Humvees, a Namera armored vehicle, and a bulldozer, near Bustan Zatam and in the eastern areas of Zotar, were hit by eight FPV drones, while two Merkava tanks were hit by Kornet anti-tank missiles. Armed clashes also occurred near the Cultural Complex. The IDF began shelling the area and using smoke and incendiary bombs to cover their soldiers’ retreat. Currently, the IDF, under air and armored cover, is advancing through the eastern and southern areas of Zotar.
Israeli fighter jets are providing extensive support to this offensive, carrying out airstrikes to eliminate individual targets. In response, Hezbollah is using all available resources along this axis, attacking Israeli forces with various weapons. Reports of Israeli armored convoys moving toward the town of Mifdoun have since proven unfounded.
The Israelis have no intention of engaging in urban warfare with Hezbollah and are instead seeking to locate their positions and destroy them through air and artillery strikes. In practice, their tactic consists of rapidly crossing open paths and terrain, demolishing urban areas with air strikes and engineering vehicles. This allows them to move through the cities of southern Lebanon in the shortest possible time, avoiding falling into the trap of Hezbollah’s guerrilla attacks. This tactic also allows them to reach strategic high positions, from which they can monitor the occupied areas and prepare subsequent military operations.
In these circumstances, Hezbollah is seeking to exploit geographic conditions to create tactical chokepoints. On this axis, the social network states, Wadi Raj is a forced crossing point for Israeli forces moving from north of Deir ez-Syran to south of Zouatar, making it an ideal location for Hezbollah attacks. The social network then offers advice in the comments to thwart an assault on Zouatar: they believe Hezbollah must keep this strategic point under fire and prevent the movement of armored convoys and IDF military engineers north of the Litani River.
Otherwise, the 7 kilometers separating Zouatar from the city of Nabatieh, one of the largest and most important Shiite cities in Lebanon, will be covered in less than a month, and the city would run the risk of being devastated.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
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