Israel demolishes Hezbollah underground complex at Lebanon’s Ali al-Taher ridge

A major demolition in southern Lebanon

Israel said on September 10 that its military destroyed a large Hezbollah underground complex beneath the Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon. Israeli leaders described the demolition as the final stage of an operation to establish control over the strategically elevated area, roughly 15 kilometres from the Israeli border. Lebanon’s state news agency reported a powerful explosion whose tremors were felt around Nabatieh, providing local confirmation that a major blast occurred at the ridge.

According to the Israeli military account reported by Reuters and Al Jazeera, the underground network extended for more than two kilometres. Israel said troops found command rooms, accommodation areas and stores containing rockets, drones, antitank weapons, mines and explosives. The military attributed the complex to Hezbollah’s Badr unit. Those details remain claims from the Israeli side; Hezbollah had not publicly confirmed the loss of the installation when the reports were published.

Control of the ridge remains disputed

The demolition follows Israel’s earlier assertion that it had secured operational control above and below the ridge. Al Jazeera’s September 5 reporting noted that Hezbollah had not accepted Israel’s account and that the highland overlooks important approaches in southern Lebanon. The latest blast therefore represents a newly completed military action, even though the broader contest for the area began earlier.

Israel says its forces will remain to prevent Hezbollah from returning and rebuilding. That position conflicts with the diplomatic framework endorsed after the June ceasefire, under which Israeli forces were expected to withdraw gradually while Lebanese state forces extended their authority and disarmed non-state groups. The United Nations has separately called on Hezbollah to respect Lebanese state control over weapons and on Israel to withdraw fully from north of the Blue Line.

Why the operation matters

Ali al-Taher offers observation and defensive advantages over parts of southern Lebanon. Destroying infrastructure there may constrain Hezbollah’s ability to shelter personnel and weapons, but an open-ended Israeli presence could also make the ridge a durable point of confrontation. It raises the likelihood of further demolitions, attacks or attempts to re-enter the area and complicates Lebanese efforts to re-establish civilian administration.

The next test is whether the demolition is followed by an Israeli withdrawal, a handover to the Lebanese Armed Forces or continued occupation of the ridge. UN monitoring and any response from Hezbollah will be important evidence. The operation also puts renewed pressure on the ceasefire’s mediators, because both disarmament and territorial withdrawal remain incomplete and each side cites the other’s conduct to justify further military action.