Israeli forces intensify pressure on Hezbollah fighters in Ali Taher ridge underground complex
The Israeli military is cutting water supplies and blocking drone deliveries to a Hezbollah-held underground tunnel network on Lebanon's Ali Taher ridge, while maintaining surveillance and limited air strikes.
Israeli troops have stepped up efforts to isolate an underground tunnel system on the Ali Taher ridge in southern Lebanon, according to reports from Lebanese sources. The operation involves cutting water lines and attempting to prevent drone-delivered supplies from reaching the fighters believed to be inside the complex.
The Israeli Defense Forces have not issued a public statement on the specific actions, directing inquiries to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. Netanyahu said Israel has acted forcefully in Lebanon and is conducting a “very important operation,” but declined to provide further details.
According to the reports, Israeli forces are maintaining surveillance and fire-control over large portions of the ridge, using airstrikes where necessary while limiting the presence of ground troops. This approach allows strikes on the tunnel network without exposing soldiers to direct combat.
The Ali Taher ridge, located near the historic Beaufort Castle, holds strategic significance because it overlooks the border area. Tensions have persisted despite a cease-fire arrangement intended to halt hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.
The latest pressure follows a previous escalation in the area, when a Hezbollah-operated first-person-view drone struck an Israeli engineering vehicle during a patrol, an incident the Israeli military described as a violation of the cease-fire. In response, Israel carried out a large-scale operation that used roughly 700 metric tons of explosives to destroy tunnels near Beaufort Castle.
The IDF continues to monitor the ridge, stating that troops will not allow any advancement of hostile activity in the zone.