Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Katz announced early Friday that the IDF has destroyed a massive Hezbollah tunnel network beneath the Beaufort Ridge in southern Lebanon, using approximately 700 tons of explosives. The military said the complex, built over two decades with Iranian funding, served as a central command center for Hezbollah's Badr unit and was destroyed in response to a Hezbollah ceasefire violation.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz announced early Friday that the IDF has destroyed a massive Hezbollah tunnel network beneath the Beaufort Ridge in southern Lebanon, using approximately 700 tons of explosives. The operation, carried out by the IDF's 36th Division under Northern Command, targeted a strategic underground complex identified as a central command center for Hezbollah's Badr unit. The military stated that the network, built over two decades with direct Iranian funding and planning, was neutralized in response to a Hezbollah ceasefire violation on Thursday, when the group targeted an unmanned IDF engineering bulldozer with an explosive drone.
As The Zioneer reported earlier this week, IDF forces had been preparing the tunnels for destruction over the past several weeks, maintaining operational control over the Beaufort Ridge while clearing and documenting the underground infrastructure. The destruction of the network follows weeks of friction in the area, including a standoff at the Ali al-Taher Ridge where dozens of Hezbollah operatives remain trapped underground.
The Beaufort Ridge network, located approximately six kilometers from the Israeli town of Metula, was used by Hezbollah to launch drones, explosive drones, and anti-tank missiles at Israeli forces and civilians. Israeli officials described the operation as a significant blow to Hezbollah's offensive capabilities and a direct response to the group's violation of the November 2024 ceasefire.
12 developments
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