Demolition on the Ali al-Taher ridge

Israeli military forces executed a controlled explosion on Thursday to demolish an underground tunnel network beneath the Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz announced the operation in a joint statement, asserting that the demolition completed operational control over the area both above and below ground. Israeli officials stated that troops will maintain a presence on the ridge to prevent Hezbollah from rebuilding military infrastructure. The blast completed what Israeli leadership defined as the consolidation of an expanded security zone in southern Lebanon. Israel Katz also released video footage showing a large fireball rising into the night sky over the ridge.

“This is strategic terrorist infrastructure that was built over two decades, with Iranian funding and planning.”

Seismic tremor across southern Lebanon

The United States Geological Survey recorded a magnitude 4.1 seismic event at 18:08 GMT in the Nabatieh region resulting from the detonation. Residents and local authorities throughout southern Lebanon reported strong ground vibrations that were felt in Nabatieh, in Sidon roughly 40 kilometres from Beirut, and across the Lebanese capital itself 70 kilometres away. Nabatieh Mayor Abbas al-Din reported that the explosion felt like a light earthquake to local populations. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported a powerful detonation on the ridge that caused tremors and rumbling throughout adjacent districts. Residents in Marjayoun, located 5 kilometres from the ridge, described sudden structural shaking and the smell of burnt gunpowder following the evening explosion.

“We were sitting there and everything shook.”

Extent of the underground complex

The subterranean network stretched for more than two kilometres beneath the ridge, according to statements released by the Israeli military. Israeli forces reported locating a central command complex used by Hezbollah's Badr unit, featuring operational headquarters, weapons storehouses, and living quarters designed for extended subterranean stays. Weapons discovered inside the facility included dozens of Iranian-manufactured rockets, missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles, along with machine guns, anti-tank missiles, and hundreds of landmines and explosive devices. Israeli military officials stated that some fighters operating along the ridge had abandoned the position prior to the demolition, while others were killed by earlier artillery and aerial strikes.

Conflict timeline and buffer zone operations

The Ali al-Taher ridge sits north of the Litani River, approximately 15 kilometres from the Israeli border, placing it at the outer edge of Israel's self-declared buffer zone. Hezbollah engaged in cross-border conflict in support of Iran on March 2, prompting Israeli ground incursions and airstrikes across southern Lebanon. While violence decreased following a United States-brokered diplomatic framework in June, negotiations over troop withdrawals and disarmament have remained stalled. The framework outlined a gradual Israeli withdrawal paired with the disarmament of Hezbollah by the Lebanese army, but Hezbollah has refused to surrender weapons and Israel has conditioned its withdrawal on full disarmament. Israeli ground forces captured physical control of the ridge during the first week of September before preparing the subterranean demolition.