IDF Destroys Hezbollah's Ali Taher Ridge Infrastructure in Southern Lebanon

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz announced Thursday that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have destroyed Hezbollah's underground infrastructure on the Ali Taher Ridge in southern Lebanon, completing the organization of the security zone there. The IDF revealed the scale of the subterranean network, built over two decades with Iranian funding and planning, which was intended to serve as a base for Hezbollah to conquer the Galilee and control observation and fire over Metula and Kiryat Shmona.

Netanyahu and Katz stated that the destruction of this strategic infrastructure, including a command center for Hezbollah's "Bader" unit, "completes the achievement of operational control over the Ali Taher Ridge, above and below ground." The IDF reported that units including the 36th Division, Commando Brigade, and the Yahalom engineering unit operated on the ridge in recent months, first securing the surface and then the underground tunnels.

During the operation, eight underground tunnels totaling over 5,400 meters were discovered. These tunnels contained dozens of Iranian-made rockets, missiles, and drones, along with explosive drones, machine guns, anti-tank missiles, mines, explosives, RPGs, and other military equipment. The central command complex within the tunnels included operational rooms and living quarters for militants.

The IDF stated that some militants fled the area while others were eliminated during the operation. Those attempting to leave or resupply the tunnels were targeted by air and artillery strikes, with one instance of a militant being killed in close combat by the Egoz unit. The operation to destroy the tunnels involved over 1,100 tons of explosives, rendering most of the network unusable for future militant entrenchment or terror planning.

Netanyahu and Katz affirmed that the operation on Ali Taher Ridge, along with similar operations on the Beaufort Ridge and in the villages of Arnoun, Yuhmor, and Tibnit, completes the organization of the security zone. They pledged that IDF forces will remain in the area, continue to destroy terror infrastructure, and thwart any attempts by Hezbollah to re-establish its capabilities. The IDF is conducting a redeployment in the security zone and remains prepared for various scenarios, emphasizing its commitment to the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon while vowing to respond forcefully to any attacks on Israeli civilians or forces.