Israel Destroys 2km of Hezbollah Tunnels Under Ali al-Taher Ridge
Israel destroyed more than two kilometres of Hezbollah tunnels beneath the Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon using over 1,000 tonnes of explosives, triggering a 4.1-magnitude tremor.
Destruction of Hezbollah Tunnels
The Israeli military said it used more than 1,000 tonnes of explosives to destroy two tunnels spanning more than 2km beneath the Ali Taher Ridge. [3] The blast triggered seismic activity equivalent to a magnitude 4.1 earthquake, according to the US Geological Survey. [3] Israel said Thursday it demolished key tunnels built by the Iran-backed Hezbollah group beneath the strategic Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon, triggering a 4.1-magnitude tremor. [1] It comes a few days after Israeli authorities claimed to have taken control of the Ali al-Taher ridge. [4] Israeli forces took control of the ridge last week after months of fighting with the Iran-backed group there. [3] The IDF said the destruction of the complex completed a mission to destroy eight tunnels and establish a security zone in the area. [3] The destruction completes the achievement of operational control over the Ali al-Taher ridge above and below ground, according to a joint statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz. [5]
Impact on Local Residents
The sky lit up and about 15 seconds later we heard the terrifying sound, Ahamed, a resident in Nabatieh about 6km west of the ridge, told the BBC. [3] The house shook all together as if it was literally an earthquake, he said. [3] People were screaming and children were crying, and cars filled the roads as people left the area for Beirut. [3] Tremors were even felt in the coastal city of Saida 40km north. [3] We were sitting there and everything shook, Joelle Fares, who recently moved to Marjaayoun, told AFP. [5] AFP journalists in the area heard several explosions. [5] In a video shared by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, a huge fireball can be seen rising into the night sky. [5] Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported that Israel carried out a massive explosion on the Ali al-Taher ridge in the Nabatiyeh region, causing tremors and a powerful rumble. [5]
Israeli forces destroyed over 2km of Hezbollah tunnels beneath Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon. — Source: bbc
Description of the Underground Infrastructure
The IDF said the underground infrastructure included a command centre used by Hezbollah's Badr unit and contained dozens of rockets, missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as anti-tank weapons, mines and explosives. [3] This was strategic infrastructure that was constructed over two decades, funded and planned by the Iranian terror regime, the IDF said in a statement on Telegram. [3] All of the terrorists who were inside the infrastructure were eliminated or fled, the statement added. [3] The Israeli army said the Hezbollah infrastructure extended for more than two kilometres and contained dozens of Iranian-made rockets, missiles, and UAVs, as well as machine guns, dozens of anti-tank missiles, and hundreds of mines and explosive devices. [5] The underground compound also included a command centre of Hezbollah's Badr unit, the army added. [5] A military official told AFP that some of the militants that had operated in the area of the ridge had abandoned it, while others were eliminated by aerial strikes and artillery fire. [5] The official said Hezbollah members had dug eight underground routes to move safely beneath the ridge, and several dozen explosive drones and hundreds of mines were seized by the Israeli army. [5]
Context of the Lebanon-Israel Framework Agreement
Fighting decreased following a ceasefire deal between Iran and the US in June, alongside a separate agreement between Lebanon and Israel. [3] Under the Lebanon-Israel framework, Hezbollah is expected to disarm, Israeli forces to withdraw gradually from southern Lebanon and the Lebanese army to deploy across the area. [3] Hezbollah was not directly involved in the agreement and has rejected direct negotiations. [3] Despite a reduction in fighting, Israeli strikes and demolitions in southern Lebanon have continued. [3] Israel blows up school, destroys tunnels in southern Lebanon despite framework agreement. [2] During negotiations, the United States, which is sponsoring the talks, proposed that the Lebanese army take control of the Ali al-Taher ridge, but Hezbollah refused, a source close to the parties told AFP. [5] There had been a lull in violence after the agreement reached between Lebanon and Israel in June, and talks are set to resume next week. [5]
Israeli forces detonate over 1,000 tonnes of explosives to destroy Hezbollah tunnels beneath Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon. — Source: france24
Casualties and Displacement
At least 4,383 people including 395 women and 259 children have been killed in Lebanon by Israeli attacks since 2 March, according to the health ministry, whose figures do not differentiate between combatants and civilians. [3] At least 29 have been killed this week, the ministry says. [3] Israeli authorities say 40 Israeli soldiers and four civilians have been killed in the same period. [3] The UN says about 330,000 people in Lebanon remain displaced by the conflict, with Israeli military activity, air strikes, destruction and restrictions on returning to Israeli-occupied areas preventing many from going home. [3] Beirut authorities say Israeli strikes have killed more than 4,300 people in total since March, and more than 8,500 since October 2023. [5]
Recent Military Developments
The latest action comes amid renewed fighting in southern Lebanon, where Israeli forces have expanded operations against Hezbollah positions and continue to hold what Israel describes as a security zone near the border. [3] Lebanese media reported fresh Israeli strikes elsewhere in the south on Thursday, including Nabatieh al-Fawqa and Mansouri in the Tyre district. [3] The Lebanese army has increased deployments in areas outside Israeli control, including the southern city of Nabatieh, in efforts to strengthen stability and reassure residents, local television station MTV reported. [3] Israeli forces continue to occupy a so-called security zone in the south and have wiped out dozens of towns and villages. [5] Israeli strikes have increased in intensity in recent days, killing dozens of people. [5]
What to watch next: Talks are set to resume next week under the Lebanon-Israel framework, while the Lebanese army continues deployments in areas outside Israeli control and Israeli strikes persist in southern Lebanon.
