IDF Reports Hezbollah Fighters Trapped in Southern Lebanon Tunnels Amid Lebanese Army Inaction

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) estimate that around 15 Hezbollah militants remain trapped in an extensive underground tunnel system in the Ali Taher ridge area of southern Lebanon, with some possibly already deceased due to disrupted supply lines. The tunnels, described by the IDF as strategic infrastructure, include deep, rock-carved complexes featuring medical facilities, command centers for Hezbollah's Badr Brigade, living quarters, and provisions for prolonged combat under aerial attack.

The IDF recently targeted two sites in the Ali Taher ridge with airstrikes, but some underground systems remain intact. Despite Israeli efforts to communicate with the trapped militants through intermediaries, urging them to surrender, the fighters have refused. Meanwhile, the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) have been criticized by Israeli security officials for their ineffective response against Hezbollah’s infrastructure in southern Lebanon. The LAF reportedly only entered the tunnel entrances briefly without conducting thorough operations, showing reluctance to confront Hezbollah commanders.

Senior Israeli security sources allege that the Lebanese military chief, General Rudolf Heikal, collaborates with Hezbollah and avoids conflict with the Shiite group’s leadership. This cooperation has led to a lack of enforcement against Hezbollah’s arms and facilities. Furthermore, the IDF assesses that Iran, once a major backer of Hezbollah, is currently preoccupied with its own survival struggles and has reduced its support, leaving Hezbollah to face Israeli and American pressure largely on its own.

The IDF continues to dismantle Hezbollah’s tunnel networks, especially in the upper parts of the ridge near the Beaufort area, but the remaining underground infrastructure remains a significant challenge. The situation underscores the complex dynamics between Hezbollah, the Lebanese military, and Iran amid ongoing regional tensions.