Overview
- Israeli leaders announced on Thursday that their military demolished a multi-route underground network on the Ali Taher ridge and now holds operational control of the position.
- An unnamed Israeli officer told reporters the subterranean system included eight routes totaling more than 5,400 meters and contained command centers, weapons caches and living areas.
- Lebanese officials said Israeli strikes have intensified in recent days, reported new waves of civilian displacement and warned that a halt to hostilities is required for the Lebanese Army to complete its south deployment.
- The operation generated strong messaging from Israel about Iranian funding and decades-long construction of the tunnels while Hezbollah denied subordination to Iran and rejected U.S. sanctions.
- Control of the Ali Taher high ground matters because its elevation overlooks the Litani valley and northern Israel, a factor that has made subterranean networks a central military and diplomatic issue in past Israel–Hezbollah confrontations.