Khiam's significance: Why are Israeli forces ramping up attacks on this Lebanese border town?

Report by Lara El Hachem, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

Footage from the border strip between Shebaa and Naqoura sheds light on the situation in the town of Khiam.

This border town, which faces daily Israeli airstrikes, has yet to experience the ground incursions that encompass multiple fronts in various sectors, particularly in the eastern region where Khiam is located.

Retired Brigadier General Bassam Yassin states that there are three main points of focus in Israel's current calculations:

Aita al-Shaab: This town holds symbolic significance as the launch point for the July 2006 War. Israelis have made advances in this area since the beginning of their ground operation.

Bint Jbeil District: The Israeli army is attempting to encircle this district from three fronts. After advancing in Maroun El Ras, Israeli forces are preparing to move toward Ain Ebel, which explains why residents have been warned to evacuate since the early days of the incursion. The army is also working to advance in Aitaroun.

If they succeed in securing the Bint Jbeil front and completing operations from Kfarkela to Taybeh, they could place Wadi al-Hujair within the range of the Israeli army, at which point they are expected to shift their focus to Khiam.

On this axis, they may encircle Khiam by advancing through Deir Mimas, passing through Jdeidet Marjeyoun, Qlayaa, and Ebel El Saqi.

Israeli officials recognize that the Khiam battle could be decisive. The town where Hezbollah targeted Israeli tanks in the Marjeyoun plain during the July 2006 War holds both moral and geographic significance in terms of its size and Hezbollah's defensive capabilities.

For this reason, the Israeli army continues to launch intense airstrikes on Khiam to strike specific targets and weaken the resistance, in contrast to other towns where it seeks to continue ground incursions under artillery cover, thereby expanding the area of conflict.