Israel says it destroyed key Hezbollah tunnels in south Lebanon

Israel announced on Thursday that it had demolished key tunnels constructed by the Iran-backed Hezbollah group beneath the strategic Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon, completing its aim of gaining operational control over the area. The statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz revealed that the tunnels had been in operation for over two decades and were built with Iranian funding and planning.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported that the massive explosion on the Ali al-Taher ridge in the Nabatieh region caused significant tremors and a powerful rumble. Israeli media sources also confirmed hearing huge explosions on Thursday evening. The Israeli army disclosed that the underground infrastructure stretched for more than 2km and housed dozens of Iranian-made rockets, missiles, UAVs, machine guns, anti-tank missiles, hundreds of mines, and explosive devices.

Additionally, the command center of Hezbollah's Badr unit was part of the compound. A military official confirmed that some militants had abandoned the site, while others were eliminated through aerial strikes and artillery fire. Israel had previously announced capturing the Ali al-Taher ridge last week. The conflict between Hezbollah and Israel intensified in March when Hezbollah's involvement in a regional war on Iran's behalf led to increased violence.

However, the intensity of the conflict has decreased since an understanding was reached between Iran and the US in June, along with an agreement between Lebanon and Israel. Since March, Lebanese authorities claim that Israeli strikes have resulted in over 4,300 deaths, and Israeli forces continue to occupy the so-called security zone in the south.