Day 10 of Israel's ground incursion: Dynamic exchanges at the 'front lines' in south Lebanon

Report by Lara El Hachem, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

On the tenth day of Israel's ground incursion in southern Lebanon, the front lines have seen a dynamic exchange of advances and retreats.

In Maroun El Ras, the Israeli flag was raised before soldiers retreated. 

While no Lebanese party or even UNIFIL could confirm the authenticity of a video showing the Israeli army bulldozing parts of Maroun El Ras, notably the "Iran Garden Park," sources familiar with the situation stated that what happened in the town was not an achievement. 

As a border town, reaching the outskirts of Maroun El Ras does not indicate progress.

Meanwhile, other sources anticipated that Hezbollah would attempt to lure the Israeli army deeper into the interior to ambush it later, especially since the destruction in Maroun El Ras makes face-to-face confrontations difficult. 

Therefore, Maroun El Ras remains "under contention;" its occupation would signify a military setback for Bint Jbeil. Securing control of Al-Awaida Hill, where ongoing clashes would also reveal a strategic area stretching from Kfarkela to Nabatieh.

In addition to Maroun El Ras and Kfarkela, a new axis of conflict has emerged in Meiss El Jabal, engaging from multiple directions. Controlling this area would open new avenues for the occupation of Houla, Wadi Saluki, and Blida. 

As for Labbouneh, which the Israeli army has repeatedly tried to infiltrate, it overlooks Naqoura.

With these strategic steps, Israel is operating by utilizing its air superiority and artillery cover for its forces to enable them to advance and retreat. 

A new tactic appears to be based on executing incursions, revealing Hezbollah positions, destroying them, and then withdrawing, as direct ground confrontations would be challenging.