Israel is planning to destroy two tunnels beneath the Ali Taher hills in southern Lebanon and is not allowing residents to return to the area, The Zioneer reports.
Israel is planning to destroy two tunnels beneath the Ali Taher hills in southern Lebanon and is barring residents from returning to the area, according to a report reviewed by The Zioneer. The plan follows a series of reports over the past day indicating that the IDF had prepared to demolish underground infrastructure on the strategic ridge and was awaiting political approval. Earlier today at 05:55 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that Israel had barred residents from returning as it prepared the demolition. The current report specifies that two tunnels are to be destroyed.
On Sunday at 20:12 Jerusalem, The Zioneer first reported that the IDF was preparing to demolish the Ali Taher ridge, pending political approval, based on security sources. Shortly after, military analyst Yossi Yehoshua reported that the IDF was pressing the political echelon and had warned Iran of an 'unimaginable blow' if it intervened. Subsequent reports at the same timestamp indicated that Hezbollah was pressuring Iran to strike if the demolition proceeded, and that the IDF planned to detonate two tunnels and then withdraw to positions 2–4 km from the border. Later that evening, The Zioneer reported that residents were barred from returning. The corroboration evolved from a single security source to multiple reports, including from an analyst and additional security sources.
The Ali Taher ridge has been a focal point of IDF operations in southern Lebanon. As The Zioneer reported on Sunday, the IDF has systematically destroyed Hezbollah tunnel networks in the area. On Wednesday, August 5, the IDF said it destroyed a tunnel dozens of meters long designed to carry out attacks against Israeli forces. The ridge is part of Hezbollah's extensive underground infrastructure in southern Lebanon, which the IDF has been dismantling as part of ongoing counter-terror operations. The broader context includes a truce established in June 2026 that has been marred by violations, and ongoing diplomatic efforts to implement a tripartite framework agreement.
The timeline for the demolition of the two tunnels and the duration of the restrictions on resident return have not been specified. The report does not indicate whether the residents are Lebanese civilians or others. It also remains unclear whether political approval has been granted for the operation, as earlier reports indicated the IDF was awaiting a green light from the political echelon.
7 developments
- StrongIDF to reduce forces, draw new security line closer to border after destroying Hezbollah tunnels on Ali Taher ridge
- DevelopingAl-Manar reports Israeli drone strike on Ali al-Taher in southern Lebanon
- DevelopingIran pushing for ceasefire to stall IDF operations on Ali Taher ridge, per analyst
- Developingi24NEWS: IDF destroys tunnel route on Ali Taher ridge north of Nabatieh
Source and signal
- Open-source intake