Lebanese Army Chief Visits Hezbollah Site After Israeli Strike

Lebanese Army Commander General Joseph Aoun made a surprise visit to the southern city of Nabatieh on Saturday, near the Ali Taher mountain range where the Israeli military recently detonated a strategic Hezbollah underground facility. Aoun, accompanied by Lebanese security officials, expressed solidarity with the residents and praised the medical staff at Nabatieh's public hospital. He also visited army units and a church in the town of Zawtar al-Gharbiya, observing Israeli army positions nearby.

During his visit, Aoun stated that there are currently no new negotiations with Israel. He reiterated Lebanon's national principles, which include an Israeli withdrawal, the return of prisoners and displaced persons, and reconstruction. The Ali Taher facility, built with Iranian assistance, was a major Hezbollah stronghold in southern Lebanon, featuring approximately 5.4 kilometers of tunnels. It housed Hezbollah's Badr unit command and heavy weaponry, controlling access to Nabatieh and enabling fire towards Israel's northern Galilee region.

The Israeli military reported that the underground complex contained command and control rooms, weapons storage, power generators, living quarters, and kitchens, allowing Hezbollah operatives to operate and sustain themselves for extended periods. They described it as strategic infrastructure developed over two decades, used by the Badr unit for managing fire systems, fighting the IDF, and executing attacks against Israeli civilians.

In separate developments, negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, initially scheduled for the following week in Rome, have been postponed until October. A US diplomatic official involved in the mediation cited scheduling constraints, including the UN General Assembly and holiday periods, as reasons for the delay. However, the ambassadors of Lebanon and Israel to the United States are still expected to meet in Washington next week to discuss recent developments and the gradual implementation of the framework agreement reached in June. This agreement involves the deployment of the Lebanese army in Israeli-evacuated areas, contingent on Hezbollah's disarmament, which the US official described as the only practical mechanism for restoring Lebanese sovereignty and Israeli security.