Israel Prepares for Tense Days on Northern Front After Hezbollah Tunnel Bust

The Israeli military is bracing for sensitive days along its northern border following the completion of operations to clear two Hezbollah underground tunnels in the Al-Arayir hills area of southern Lebanon. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have established operational control over the hills, both above and below ground, with ongoing efforts to neutralize and destroy the tunnels. Israel anticipates potential retaliation from Hezbollah, and possibly Iran, in response to the military activity.

Hezbollah launched a drone attack during the night, though no official statement has been released regarding the developments. Reports from sources close to the organization suggest its fighters have withdrawn in an organized manner, and that the confrontation, from their perspective, is not over. Israeli assessments indicate that any Hezbollah response could involve drones, anti-tank missiles, or rockets targeting IDF forces and northern Israeli towns.

The primary concern is whether Hezbollah will limit its response or if the destruction of the tunnels will escalate into a wider exchange of fire, also testing the Iranian threat. In recent weeks, IDF's 36th Division has been engaged in ambushes, attacking tunnel entrances, and utilizing bombs, drones, and air and ground fire in the Al-Arayir hills. Several Hezbollah operatives were killed within the tunnels, while others escaped. The forces discovered command and control rooms, weapons storage, power generator rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, and living quarters, enabling prolonged underground operations.

The IDF stated that this strategic infrastructure was developed over two decades with Iranian planning and funding. The Al-Arayir operation follows similar actions against Hezbollah's tunnel network near the Shqif Castle, where a complex, multi-level tunnel system with a kilometer-long passage, six entrances, a command center, and weapons storage was found and destroyed in late July using approximately 700 tons of explosives. The Al-Arayir hills overlook the Nabatieh region and routes connecting southern Lebanon to the Iqlim al-Tuffah area, a historical Hezbollah stronghold, and controlling them would impede the group's movement, resupply, and rocket and drone launch capabilities.

This operation occurs amidst Iranian warnings of a significant military response if Israel gains control of the hills. A Reuters report indicated that Iran conveyed a message to the U.S. via Oman, stating that a broad Israeli offensive to seize the hills could provoke a large-scale Iranian attack. This message, reportedly sent in August, warned that any Israeli ground incursion to control the hills would be met with direct Iranian military action, which Iran considers a violation of understandings reached in June regarding a ceasefire in Lebanon. Sources briefed by Iran claim over a dozen Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps members, including at least two senior officers, are present at a facility alongside Hezbollah operatives, though Israeli military officials have previously assessed that no Iranian forces are at the site.