The latest
One of the most sensitive battles in southern Lebanon is unfolding out of sight — underground.
According to the Israeli military, its forces have spent days encircling a large Hezbollah tunnel and bunker network beneath the Ali al-Taher ridge near Nabatieh. Israeli officials believe dozens of fighters remain inside as troops tighten the siege around the facility.
Israel says the site is far more than a simple tunnel network. Military officials describe it as a fully developed operations center with command rooms, weapons depots, living quarters and infrastructure designed to support fighters underground for extended periods. The military says the complex was built to accommodate hundreds of personnel and sits only a few kilometers from the Israeli border.
Details
• Fighting in recent days has centered on the Ali al-Taher ridge and the strategic Beaufort heights overlooking large parts of southern Lebanon, including the Nabatieh area.
• The Israeli military previously announced it had taken control of the Beaufort area and uncovered what it described as one of Hezbollah’s largest military tunnel systems in southern Lebanon.
• Israel says the facility was built with Iranian backing and was used to coordinate operations and launch rockets and drones toward Israeli territory.
• During clearing operations, Israeli forces said they found anti-tank missiles, mortar rounds, anti-aircraft weapons, ammunition stockpiles and command facilities inside the tunnels.
• Hezbollah has not issued a detailed public response to the claims of encirclement, while Lebanese sources say the area has witnessed some of the fiercest clashes since the latest Israeli operation began.
Why it matters
The significance of Ali al-Taher goes beyond the size of the tunnel network.
The ridge overlooks key routes across southern Lebanon and is viewed by Israel as a potential launch and observation point threatening nearby border communities. Israeli officials therefore see control of the area as a central part of efforts to push Hezbollah’s military infrastructure farther from the frontier.
For Hezbollah, losing the site would represent both a symbolic and operational setback if Israeli assessments of its importance prove accurate.
What to watch
The main question is no longer whether Israel can isolate the complex, but how the standoff will end.
A major assault or a high casualty toll could reignite tensions on the Lebanese front and place additional pressure on already fragile efforts by Washington and regional mediators to preserve stability along the border.
