Israel’s military destroyed an underground Hezbollah network at the Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Thursday.
The officials said the operation completed the consolidation of a security zone in the area. They added that Israeli forces would remain there to prevent Hezbollah from returning and rebuilding its military capabilities.
The Ali al-Taher ridge lies about 15 kilometres from the Israeli border. It has become one of the most contested areas in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Lebanese security sources told Reuters in July that Hezbollah was believed to have built an underground command centre and weapons storage facilities there.
Lebanon’s state news agency NNA reported a powerful explosion at the ridge. The blast and resulting tremors were reportedly felt across Nabatieh and nearby areas.
The Israeli military said its forces had established operational control over the ridge above and below ground before dismantling the underground infrastructure. According to the military, the network stretched for more than two kilometres.
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The military said the network contained dozens of rockets, missiles and drones. It also included anti-tank missiles, mines and explosive devices.
Israeli forces said a central command complex belonging to Hezbollah’s Badr unit was located inside the network. The complex reportedly included command centres, weapons storage rooms and living quarters. These facilities allowed fighters to remain underground for extended periods, according to the military.
Israel has advanced into southern Lebanon and seized several strategic positions since the conflict erupted on March 2. The Ali al-Taher ridge has remained a major focus of Israeli military operations.
The ridge also lies within an expanded Israeli-declared buffer zone in southern Lebanon. The continued presence of Israeli forces has added to tensions over the future security arrangement in the area.
A US-brokered framework reached after a June ceasefire called for Israeli forces to gradually withdraw from southern Lebanon. The agreement also required Lebanese forces to disarm Hezbollah.
The process has stalled. Hezbollah has refused to surrender its weapons, while Israel says it will not withdraw until the group is disarmed.
