Israel seizes strategic Ali Taher ridge in southern Lebanon to consolidate security zone

Capture of the Ali Taher ridge

The Israeli military announced on 4 September 2026 that its forces took control of the Ali Taher ridge in southern Lebanon. The position, situated at an elevation of 600 metres and located between 10 and 15 kilometres from the Israeli border, sits north of the Litani River near the city of Nabatiyeh. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz stated that ground troops cleared Hezbollah fighters from positions along the high ground, which overlooks the surrounding region and approaches to the Galilee.

The mission was completed and the tunnels were cleared of terrorists.

Katz stated in a video briefing that taking the high ground completes the consolidation of Israel's security zone in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military reported that some Hezbollah fighters in the sector were killed while others fled the ridge. Hezbollah did not immediately publish a confirmation regarding the loss of the position.

Underground infrastructure and tactical reach

Israeli military officials described the ridge as a fortified subterranean command centre. The military stated that the network included command facilities and weapons storage rooms built over two decades with Iranian funding and planning. According to Israeli officials, Hezbollah used the site to launch drones and missiles into northern Israel and to defend the Nabatiyeh sector.

The ridge links directly to Iqlim al-Tuffah, a logistics area for Hezbollah, and controls access toward the western Bekaa plain. Riad Kahwaji, head of the INEGMA military analysis institute, stated that controlling the heights gives Israeli forces oversight of the surrounding network of villages and transport corridors that connect Hezbollah strongholds further from the border.

Strikes and failed negotiations

The seizure follows months of intermittent fighting that persisted despite a ceasefire announced in June 2026. Clashes continued in the area throughout August, including an Israeli attack on 15 August 2026 that killed more than 10 people. On 4 September 2026, Israeli strikes in southern and eastern Lebanon killed at least 3 people and injured 23 others, including 2 young men killed in a strike near the Ali Taher ridge.

During previous ceasefire negotiations mediated by the United States, American diplomats proposed deploying the Lebanese army to control the Ali Taher ridge. Hezbollah rejected the proposal, according to a source close to the talks cited by AFP. In August 2026, Iran warned the United States that it would mount a forceful response to any Israeli operation targeting Hezbollah positions on the ridge.

Broader conflict timeline

Hezbollah entered the conflict in March 2026 following the joint US-Israeli killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Israeli ground forces then advanced past positions such as the medieval Beaufort castle, which Israel captured earlier in 2026. Israel previously controlled the Ali Taher ridge during its military presence in southern Lebanon between 1978 and 2000.

The operation coincides with a stalled plan for a gradual Israeli withdrawal linked to Hezbollah disarmament. It also precedes Israeli parliamentary elections scheduled for October 2026. Israeli military units are currently organizing defensive positions along the crest to prevent Hezbollah fighters from re-entering the tunnel facilities.