Jessica Habashi – Mtv
The heights are not just points on a map. Every peak occupied by Israel may mean an eye being watched, an axis being revealed, and a new card being added to the field. Today, the name Jabal Al-Rayhan stands out, with a height of up to 1,300 meters and a location in the middle of a sensitive node in the southern highlands. Is the mountain now in the Israeli accounting department? What does it mean militarily for Israel to approach it?
The former commander of the Southern Military Region, retired Brigadier General Dr. Khalil Gemayel, said, “Jabal al-Rayhan is a strategic mountain node whose height ranges between 1,100 and 1,300 meters above sea level, and gives broad control over large parts of Jabal Amel, Nabatieh, and the southern depths. The mountain is located within a continuous mass of highlands linking it to Iqlim al-Tuffah and Jezzine to the north, the Western Bekaa to the east, and the vicinity of the Litani Valley to the south,” considering, in an interview with the MTV website, that “its military importance lies in its ability to provide “Monitoring and influencing some axes of movement, especially towards Nabatieh and Wadi al-Khardali, while its ability to monitor in the north declines due to higher heights, most notably Mount Safi. The dense forests and rugged terrain also make it difficult to approach and position itself there, making it an important ruling focal point within the southern Lebanon highlands system.”
But does the advance to Ali Al-Taher Heights mean that the road has become open militarily towards Al-Rayhan and Iqlim Al-Tuffah? Gemayel answers: “Advancement to Ali al-Tahir Heights does not mean that it has opened a direct military road towards Jabal al-Rayhan, but rather it removes an obstacle within the axis of expansion towards the north and east. The distance between the two heights, and the nature of the separating land, makes any direct attack a difficult process, as advancement requires a frontal ascent across wide, rugged slopes that are likely to have been fortified and defensively prepared for years. Therefore, controlling Ali al-Tahir does not automatically mean ability.” To control the Al-Rayhan range and Iqlim Al-Tuffah,” adding, “If Israel decides to expand towards Al-Rayhan, it is militarily likely to adopt lateral and gradual expansion and connect the highlands within the axis of Dibbin – Balat – Al-Dalafa – Kafarhouna – Armta – Al-Rayhan, instead of launching a direct frontal attack from Ali Al-Taher, which is a pattern that is consistent with the method of gradual control over the highlands and the complexity of the movement that the Israeli army is currently adopting.”
Once you reach Jabal al-Rayhan, the importance of the site expands in terms of monitoring. In this context, Gemayel explains that “access to Jabal al-Rihan gives a broader ability to monitor the direction of Nabatieh and some of the movement axes towards Iqlim al-Tuffah and Jezzine, and also makes the mountain roads between Jarjou, Jbaa and Malikh more vulnerable to monitoring and targeting. However, controlling the height does not mean complete control of the surrounding land, due to the rugged nature of the area and the abundance of valleys, forests and alternative paths.”
As for the hypothesis that Israel is facing an attempt to control a series of heights with the aim of creating a new security depth inside Lebanon, Gemayel believes that “this possibility remains valid due to the monitoring and early warning it provides and the ability to influence movement inside the southern depths. However, in the current situation, this hypothesis remains questionable due to the large military and human cost of any additional expansion, especially outside the scope of current operations. Therefore, it may be more likely to be limited to specific sites of strategic value such as the Ali Heights.” Al-Taher, and using them as pressure cards and monitoring sites in any subsequent arrangements or negotiations.”
But the scenario becomes different if we actually reach Al-Rayhan and establish a military presence there. Gemayel says: “If Israel actually reaches Al-Rayhan, it will have penetrated a wide and difficult mountainous area, and the battle may move from controlling the frontal heights to the ability to control internal mountain nodes linking several axes. Then Al-Rayhan Mountain and Iqlim Al-Tuffah may turn into part of a new security depth based on the highlands. Al-Rayhan will also gain importance as a military and political card in any subsequent negotiation, but keeping it or advancing towards other highlands will remain at a cost. “It is very difficult to move in this terrain.”
From Ali Al-Taher to Al-Rayhan, the names and heights may change, but what is certain is that any Israeli advance inside Lebanese territory is an occupation that cannot be turned into a fait accompli. What is required of the Lebanese is that geography should not be left to the field to be drawn, but rather that the state move with all its political, diplomatic and military tools to protect its land and prevent the imposition of new security borders on it.
