Overview
- Israeli leaders and the IDF said late Thursday that forces used roughly 700 tons of explosives to destroy a multilevel tunnel network beneath Beaufort Ridge that they call a central headquarters for Hezbollah’s Badr Unit.
- The military said the demolitions followed what it described as a ceasefire breach — an explosive-drone strike at Ali Taher Ridge on July 29 that Israel linked to Hezbollah but which the group has not publicly claimed.
- Lebanese state media and correspondents reported very large detonations near the UNESCO-listed Beaufort Castle, and residents said shockwaves shattered windows and damaged homes in nearby towns.
- The operation complicates implementation of the U.S.-brokered June 26 framework because it risks hardening positions ahead of technical talks and could slow agreed withdrawals tied to verified removal of Hezbollah infrastructure.
- Independent public verification of tunnel contents, personnel numbers, and direct links to specific attacks is limited, and the demolitions add to wider humanitarian and heritage concerns after months of fighting in southern Lebanon.