Israel eyes Bekaa front as war with Hezbollah expands beyond the south

Report by Lara El Hachem, English adaptation by Mariella Succar

Israel, which has stated it is determined to eliminate Hezbollah, is seeking to engage the group on multiple fronts in order to disperse its capabilities.

Alongside the southern front along the border, Israel considers a battle in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley to be a major confrontation. 

Bekaa is seen as a central hub of Hezbollah’s military arsenal, and Israel says long-range rockets that reach deep into Israeli territory are launched from there, including a missile fired days ago that Israeli media said reached the Gaza envelope area.

Questions remain about whether Israel could invade the Bekaa Valley in the same way it has attempted ground incursions in southern Lebanon, or whether the Israeli army might try to advance through the Mount Hermon line, then move west toward Rachaiya and continue toward the Bekaa. Such a move would effectively separate the Bekaa from southern Lebanon and cut Hezbollah’s supply lines between the two fronts.

However, such a scenario would be militarily costly for Israel if it does not secure victory in the battle of Khiam, where Israeli efforts are currently focused in the eastern sector.

A less costly scenario would be an airborne landing in the Bekaa, but that would require Syrian approval to use its airspace, which does not appear available at this time.

At the same time, press reports said Tel Aviv attempted to persuade Damascus to intervene directly in the war and confront Hezbollah to dismantle its missiles, but Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa rejected the request, reportedly with support from several Arab countries, as Damascus has no interest in opening new fronts or shifting its borders.

Instead, Syria is currently focused on protecting its borders with Lebanon and Iraq by deploying military forces amid fears of movements by Hezbollah or Iraqi armed groups as a result of the war with Iran, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Amid these developments, Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun has previously conducted a series of diplomatic contacts to ensure stability along Lebanon’s eastern border.

As a result, Syria does not appear likely to support Israel, at least for now.