Israel destroys Hezbollah tunnel network on Ali Taher ridge in southern Lebanon

Demolition of underground tunnel network

The Israeli military completed the demolition of an extensive subterranean tunnel network operated by Hezbollah beneath the Ali Taher ridge in the Nabatieh district of southern Lebanon on Thursday. The operation concluded a week of targeted engineering tasks designed to clear and secure two distinct subterranean pathways running through the hill. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz announced the completion in a joint official statement, asserting that Israeli forces had secured full operational control over the strategic ridge both above and below the ground. According to the Israeli government, the subterranean installations were constructed over two decades with planning and financial support from the Iranian government.

The Israeli army has destroyed the underground infrastructure of the terrorist organization Hezbollah on the Ali Taher ridge, completing the organization of the security zone in southern Lebanon.

Strategic positioning and northern border surveillance

Israeli authorities stated that Hezbollah developed the Ali Taher complex to maintain visual and operational monitoring over Israeli troop movements in the northern border communities of Metula and Kiryat Shmona. The Israeli government identified the elevated ridge as a staging base intended to facilitate potential incursions into the Galilee region. The clearance of the ridge follows Israeli troops taking control of Beaufort Castle, also known as Qalat al Shaqif, situated along the banks of the Litani River. The medieval fortress had previously served as a central battleground during the 1982 Lebanon war between the Israeli military and the Palestine Liberation Organization.

Civilian casualties and displacement in Nabatieh

Israeli military operations across the Nabatieh district intensified following the initial capture of the Ali Taher ridge last week. Aerial bombardments and ground actions have resulted in at least 29 deaths in the Nabatieh area since Friday, including 12 members of a single family. Reporters on the ground in southern Lebanon reported powerful detonations throughout the region as military units carried out the controlled demolitions on Thursday. The escalated strikes have led to the near-total evacuation of the city of Nabatieh, displacing thousands of civilians who had only recently returned to the southern district during a brief pause in fighting.

Stalled ceasefire terms and diplomatic response

The renewed military campaign in southern Lebanon follows the fraying of a temporary decrease in hostilities that began in late June. On 26 June 2026, Lebanon and Israel reached an agreement in principle through United States mediation that outlined terms for a permanent ceasefire, accompanied by a United States-Iran memorandum of understanding. The diplomatic framework required the restoration of Lebanese government sovereignty across southern Lebanon alongside the disarmament of Hezbollah. Hezbollah rejected the disarmament requirement, and ongoing cross-border exchanges prevented the complete implementation of the pact. In response to the escalating clashes, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres stated through a spokesperson on Tuesday that he was deeply concerned by the intensification of Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon, particularly in and around Nabatieh.