Hezbollah drone targets IDF troops, Israel strikes back

Since a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah began more than two months ago, peace has largely reigned in Lebanon. However, the strategic hill of Ali Taher, which overlooks parts of a key southern city, has been the site of ongoing conflict. Israeli forces have been shelling and bombing the hill daily, while Hezbollah has responded with drone attacks.

The United States, mediating talks between Lebanon and Israel, had hoped for Hezbollah to cede the hill to the Lebanese army as part of a broader disarmament plan. Yet, Hezbollah has refused.

Lebanon and Israel signed a framework agreement in June, with Israel pledging to withdraw from Lebanon once Hezbollah was disarmed. However, Hezbollah was not involved in the negotiations and has consistently rejected disarmament calls in areas north of the Litani River, where Ali Taher is situated. A full-scale battle over the hill near Nabatiyeh could potentially trigger a wider conflict across Lebanon, and the nation's current instability complicates peace efforts.

On Thursday night, Israel declared it had assumed "operational control" of Ali Taher and the network of tunnels beneath it used by Hezbollah to house fighters and weapons. It remains uncertain how extensive Israel's control is. Just before Israel's announcement, its air force was still targeting the hill, as reported by Lebanese state media. There has been no official communication from Hezbollah since Israel's assertion.

Hezbollah staunchly opposed a proposal from the Lebanese government to hand over Ali Taher to the Lebanese army, fearing Israel would subsequently seize control of the hill and subsequently demand more territory. Previously, Israel occupied the hill for 18 years until its withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000. The hill is strategically significant, providing a vantage point over several villages and main roads leading to Nabatiyeh. Losing control of the hill would weaken Hezbollah's presence and supply lines in the area.

Israel maintains that the hill is crucial due to the tunnels built there, funded by Iran. During its statement on Thursday, Israel claimed that the hill houses underground command centers, weapons storage rooms, generators, living quarters, showers, and a kitchen. Israel stated it cleared Ali Taher of Hezbollah fighters and was working to "neutralize underground infrastructure sites."

However, Lebanon's Hezbollah legislator, Ihab Hamadeh, questioned why Israel's military was still attacking the hill if it was truly under Israeli control.

A photographer visiting the nearby village of Kfar Rumman on Friday found no evidence of an Israeli military presence on the hill. The hill, crowned with a shrine to a Muslim scholar, is located north of the Litani River, which has become the de facto boundary of the area captured by Israel since its recent war with Hezbollah began in early March.

Fighting has intensified in recent weeks in the region. Israel has been conducting military operations around Ali Taher since July, according to Nasser Khdour, a Middle East researcher at the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, a U.S.-based group that tracks global conflicts. Hezbollah official Mahmoud Qamati told a Lebanese podcaster in late August that the group's fighters are repelling Israeli attempts to take Ali Taher.

However, both Khamati and others downplayed the hill's importance if it were to fall into Israeli hands, stating that the loss would not spell the end for Hezbollah.

In mid-August, Israel launched a series of airstrikes on southern Lebanon in retaliation for a Hezbollah drone attack on Ali Taher that seriously injured three soldiers, killing 11 people, including women and children. These were the deadliest strikes since the U.S.-brokered ceasefire took effect in late June. On August 27, Israel carried out a series of airstrikes, resulting in the death of one person and wounding six, after Hezbollah allegedly fired two explosive drones at Israeli troops in the area. Hezbollah has not claimed responsibility for any of the attacks.

Lebanon's Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri stated in late August that the Lebanese army was prepared to take control of Ali Taher, accusing Israel of obstructing the army due to its own political considerations ahead of Israel's national elections on October 27. "The problem lies not in the Lebanese army's readiness but in Israel's stance," Mitri said.

Lebanese and Israeli officials are scheduled to meet for negotiations in Rome later this month. In the meantime, Hezbollah, which has never directly communicated with the U.S., appears to be shifting its approach following recent setbacks in its wars with Israel since 2024. A Lebanese official told The Associated Press that indirect contacts are reportedly taking place between the U.S. and Hezbollah, but declined to provide further details.

The U.S. ambassador to Lebanon, Michel Issa, recently indicated that Washington is prepared to engage in talks with Hezbollah if the group agrees to disarm. However, it remains unlikely that Hezbollah will take further steps towards talks with the U.S. without the approval of its primary backer, Iran. While ongoing talks with the U.S. have stalled, Iran has sought assurances from Israel to cease attacks on Hezbollah as part of any permanent agreement.

The capture of Ali Taher could potentially enable Israel to target other Hezbollah strongholds, such as Nabatiyeh, Apple Province, and Rihan Mountain, where the group has been expanding its presence since the late 1990s. Israeli leaders have repeatedly pledged to maintain a military presence in Lebanon.