Magen Commander Says Hezbollah's Underground Fortress Was Destroyed After Years of Preparation
Lt. Col. B., the commander of Israel’s elite Maglan unit, is stepping down after two years in the post and will soon become commander of the Carmeli reserve brigade. In a farewell interview with ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth, the 37-year-old, married father of four, said the unit spent two years preparing for the fighting in Lebanon and that he personally had not spent a full Shabbat at home in the past year.
He said Hezbollah’s defensive system in southern Lebanon has been badly degraded after months of combat. According to him, the group now avoids direct contact with the Israeli army and sends fighters south mainly to die, while relying increasingly on drones. He described a deadly night incident in which a soldier was killed by an explosive drone using thermal devices, but said the drone threat did not stop the IDF from reaching the Beaufort ridge.
One of Maglan’s main achievements under his command was the destruction of Hezbollah’s fortified underground complex beneath Beaufort. B. said the plan had been on the unit’s books for months and was internally nicknamed “Maybe This Time.” He said the force spent two years in battle readiness, presented multiple plans up to the chief of staff at least three times, and was repeatedly turned down before finally getting approval. When troops reached the site, he said, they found “the real Beaufort” underground, a “real underground city” with food and water for months, underground operating rooms and a hospital, large quantities of weapons, and hundreds of prepared explosives, all reflecting clear Iranian influence.
He said Maglan’s mission was essential to the broader maneuver, including clearing routes, neutralizing mines, and opening the way for Givati and Golani brigades toward the Litani River. He said the unit dismantled hundreds of explosives on the roads and helped make Hezbollah’s long-built infrastructure irrelevant within a week. Looking ahead, he said the army is still fully engaged, that its missions are not finished, and that taking the fight away from the border is militarily crucial. He also praised reserve soldiers, saying Maglan’s reservists were sent home, recalled after an authorization, and then captured a key target on Mount Ali Taher within 48 hours.
