2024 Maroun al-Ras clashes explained

A battle has been taking place in Maroun al-Ras in southern Lebanon since 2 October 2024, when the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) attempted to enter the village, amid the 2024 Israeli invasion of Lebanon.

Background

On 1 October 2024, Israel began an invasion of Lebanon as part of the 2024 Israel–Hezbollah war and the Israel–Hezbollah conflict, results of the spillover of the Israel–Hamas war. It began after Hezbollah faced a series of setbacks in September 2024 that degraded its capabilities^{[1] [2]} and eliminated most of its leadership;^{[3] [4]} beginning with the pager explosions,^{[5] [6]} followed by an Israeli aerial bombing campaign targeting Hezbollah throughout Lebanon,^[7] killing over 800 and injuring at least 5,000 in a week, and culminating in the 27 September assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.^{[8] [9]}

Battle

2 October

On 2 October 2024, Hezbollah forces engaged in combat with IDF soldiers who were attempting to enter Maroun al-Ras from the east. Hezbollah claimed to have inflicted several casualties among the Israelis, and said it destroyed three Merkava tanks with guided missiles as they approached Maroun al-Ras.^[10] Israel reportedly faced stiff resistance from the Hezbollah fighters who stood ready. In a battle lasting just over an hour, Hezbollah successfully repelled an Israeli infantry unit from penetrating its defense lines.^[11] Eight Israeli soldiers were killed in combat, including three commanders, and seven others were critically wounded.^[12]

3 October

On 3 October 2024, Hezbollah stated that it had detonated two explosive devices at dawn against a group of IDF soldiers as they attempted to infiltrate the village, causing deaths and injuries.^{[13] [14]}

4 October

On 4 October 2024, Hezbollah said that it had struck a group of Israeli soldiers near the Maroun al-Ras plain.^[15]

5 October

On 5 October 2024, Hezbollah claimed to have hit an Israeli Merkava tank as it was advancing in the Maroun al-Ras forest area using a guided anti-armor missile, resulting in casualties.^[16]

8 October

The IDF was filmed raising the Israeli flag in Maroun al-Ras.^{[17] [18] [19]} The Israeli flag was raised in a location where the Iranian flag previously flew. The IDF also demolished the "Garden of Iran" which had a statue of assassinated IRGC Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani pointing at Israel and a replica of the Dome of the Rock.^[20]

Notes and References

1. News: After the decapitation of Hizbullah, Iran could race for a nuclear bomb . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20241001001703/https://www.economist.com/briefing/2024/09/30/iran-could-race-for-the-bomb-after-the-decapitation-of-hizbullah . 1 October 2024 . 1 October 2024 . The Economist . 0013-0613.
2. Web site: Ibish . Hussein . 30 September 2024 . Hezbollah Got Caught in Its Own Trap . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20241001002041/https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2024/09/hezbollah-got-caught-its-own-trap/680076/ . 1 October 2024 . 1 October 2024 . The Atlantic . en.
3. News: Mackenzie . James . Gebeily . Maya . Lubell . Maayan . 1 October 2024 . Israel says it's raiding Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon, group fires at Israel . Reuters.
4. News: Nakhoul . Samia . Hafezi . Parisa . Lubell . Maayan . 29 September 2024 . Nasrallah's killing reveals depth of Israel's penetration of Hezbollah . Reuters.
5. Web site: Lidman . Melanie . Mroue . Bassem . Hatoum . Bassam . 23 September 2024 . Israeli strikes kill 492 in Lebanon's deadliest day of conflict since 2006 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240924060908/https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-lebanon-hezbollah-e3ca9c83642056f962fdf76319e3b8de . 24 September 2024 . 24 September 2024 . Associated Press.
6. Web site: El Deeb . Sarah . 20 September 2024 . Hezbollah commander killed in Israeli airstrike was top military official on US wanted list . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240929181149/https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-hezbollah-israel-mideast-tensions-attack-8ec89de2b117b52e2c09b19155e35d13 . 29 September 2024 . 30 September 2024 . Associated Press . en.
7. News: Stroul . Dana . 23 September 2024 . Israel and Hezbollah Are Escalating Toward Catastrophe . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20241005002526/https://www.foreignaffairs.com/israel/israel-and-hezbollah-are-escalating-toward-catastrophe . 5 October 2024 . 29 September 2024 . Foreign Affairs . en-US . 0015-7120.
8. Web site: 28 September 2024 . Hezbollah confirms its leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240928081831/https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-israel-hezbollah-airstrikes-28-september-2024-c4751957433ff944c4eb06027885a973 . 28 September 2024 . 28 September 2024 . Associated Press . en.
9. News: Mroue . Bassem . Lidman . Melanie . 28 September 2024 . Hezbollah confirms its leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20241003161108/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/09/28/lebanon-israel-hezbollah-airstrikes-28-september-2024/c19a099a-7d69-11ef-980d-341a84fdff8f_story.html . 3 October 2024 . 1 October 2024 . The Washington Post.
10. Web site: McCready . Alastair . Siddiqui . Usaid . 2 October 2024 . Hezbollah says clashes ongoing with Israeli troops near border . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20241001234609/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/10/1/israels-war-on-gaza-israel-says-it-will-respond-to-iran-missile-attacks . 1 October 2024 . 2 October 2024 . Al Jazeera . en . The Lebanese group says fighting is ongoing with Israeli forces infiltrating the town of Maroun al-Ras from its eastern side. Hezbollah said its fighters had "inflicted several casualties among them"..
11. Web site: Maroun al-Ras and Yaroun: Where Israel soldiers face stiff fight from Hezbollah during ground invasion Lebanon war . 2024-10-05 . The Week . en.
12. Web site: Hezbollah kills at least eight Israeli soldiers after south Lebanon infiltration attempt . 2024-10-05 . Middle East Eye . en.
13. Web site: Marsi . Federica . Varshalomidze . Tamila . 3 October 2024 . Hezbollah claims to have attacked Israeli military six more times . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20241003001650/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/10/3/live-beirut-bombed-as-hezbollah-battles-israeli-army-in-south-lebanon . 3 October 2024 . 3 October 2024 . Al Jazeera . en . We reported earlier on more than a dozen attacks on Israeli targets by the Lebanese armed group. Since then, Hezbollah claimed to have detonated two explosive devices at dawn “when an enemy Israeli infantry force attempted to infiltrate towards the village of Maroun al-Ras” in southern Lebanon..
14. Web site: Marsi . Federica . Varshalomidze . Tamila . 3 October 2024 . Hezbollah says detonates bomb against Israeli soldiers . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20241003001650/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/10/3/live-beirut-bombed-as-hezbollah-battles-israeli-army-in-south-lebanon . 3 October 2024 . 3 October 2024 . Al Jazeera . en . The Lebanese group says its fighters have detonated an explosive device against a group of Israeli soldiers near Maroun al-Ras in southern Lebanon. The attack at noon local time caused deaths and injuries, Hezbollah claimed..
15. Web site: Motamedi . Maziar . Speri . Alice . Adler . Nils . Pietromarchi . Virginia . 4 October 2024 . Hezbollah says it struck Israeli soldiers in different locations . 4 October 2024 . Al Jazeera . en . Hezbollah says it launched a missile attack on the Israeli Nafah base in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. In a separate message on social media, the group said it stuck a gathering of Israeli soldiers near the Maroun al-Ras plain in southern Lebanon. And with another salvo, it said it targeted the Kfar Jalaadi settlement, north of Israel..
16. Web site: Motamedi . Maziar . Israeli air strikes across Lebanon as war on Gaza nears one-year mark . 2024-10-05 . Al Jazeera . en.
17. News: Soldiers raise Israeli flag in southern Lebanon village . 2024-10-08 . Washington Post. October 8, 2024 . en.
18. Web site: 2024-10-08 . IDF troops raise Israeli flag in Maroun El Ras, southern Lebanon . 2024-10-08 . . en.
19. Web site: Israeli soldiers raise flag in Lebanese town's "Iran Garden" . 2024-10-08 . Al Jazeera . en.
20. News: IDF troops raise Israeli flag in Lebanon, on ruins of site where Iranian flag previously stood . 9 October 2024. 9 October 2024. The Times of Israel. Emanuel . Fabian.