Israel Expands Southern Lebanon Control After Tunnel Demolitions

Israel’s military demolished two Hezbollah tunnels beneath the Ali Al Taher ridge in Nabatieh, southern Lebanon, using more than 1,100 tonnes of explosives. The operation was described by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office as completing the establishment of an Israeli security zone in southern Lebanon. The blast caused strong tremors and a loud noise across Nabatieh and nearby areas, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency. The US Geological Survey recorded a magnitude 4.1 earthquake in the area after the explosion was reported. The Israeli military said the tunnels extended for more than 2 kilometres and that it had cleared the ridge of Hezbollah fighters the previous week. According to the military, some militants were killed while others fled. Netanyahu and Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the ridge contained strategic infrastructure constructed over two decades with Iranian funding and planning. They claimed the site included a command centre, observation positions and fire-control capabilities overlooking the Israeli towns of Metula and Kiryat Shmona. The Israeli leaders said the Hezbollah complex had been designed as a staging ground for a possible attack to conquer parts of Israel’s Galilee region. They stated that the destruction of the tunnels gave Israel operational control of the ridge both above and below ground. Netanyahu and Katz also said Israeli forces would continue occupying southern Lebanon within the designated security zone. The article presents the Israeli military’s claims alongside reports from Lebanese authorities and the US Geological Survey, but does not provide a response from Hezbollah.

Israel said on September 10, 2026, that it had destroyed a major Hezbollah tunnel and weapons network beneath the Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz described the underground infrastructure as a strategically important Hezbollah facility constructed over two decades with Iranian funding and planning. They said its destruction gave Israel operational control of the ridge both above and below ground. The demolition was accompanied by a large explosion and a reported 4.1-magnitude tremor. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency described a “massive explosion” in the Nabatieh region that caused tremors and a powerful rumble, while AFP journalists and local resident Joelle Fares reported hearing and feeling large blasts. The United States Geological Survey recorded the tremor nearby. According to the Israeli army, the tunnel network extended more than two kilometres and contained Iranian-made rockets, missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, machine guns, anti-tank missiles, mines and other explosive devices. It also reportedly housed a command centre for Hezbollah’s Badr unit. An Israeli military official said some Hezbollah militants had withdrawn from the area, while others were killed in Israeli airstrikes and artillery attacks. Israel said it had captured the ridge the previous week. The report places the operation within a broader escalation between Israel and Hezbollah. Violence had temporarily declined following understandings involving Iran and the United States in June and an agreement between Lebanon and Israel, but Israeli strikes have intensified in recent days. During negotiations, Washington reportedly proposed that the Lebanese army take control of the ridge, but Hezbollah rejected the idea. Lebanese authorities say Israeli strikes have killed more than 4,300 people since March, while Israeli forces continue to occupy a designated security zone in southern Lebanon.

NPR reporters Jane Arraf and Jawad Rizkallah accompany a United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) patrol into territory controlled by Israel in southern Lebanon. The patrol includes Finnish peacekeepers and French medical personnel, who are surveying newly accessible roads for roadside bombs and other hazards. The area is described as almost entirely deserted and heavily devastated, with burned fields, demolished homes, Israeli flags, Hebrew road signs and Israeli military vehicles visible along the route. The report says Israel has expanded its control and continued demolishing structures after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire involving Hezbollah, the Lebanese group backed by Iran. Israel’s defense minister says the destruction is intended to prevent future threats, while also making clear that Israel wants to prevent Lebanese residents from returning to the area. Fighting has continued in contested territory farther south. According to the Lebanese government, at least 28 people, including women and children, were killed in Israeli attacks during the previous week. The reporters also observe smoke and a drone near the village of Al-Mansouri as UNIFIL personnel document the incident for a report. UNIFIL has monitored and documented ceasefire violations along the border for 48 years, but its mandate is scheduled to end later in 2026. Arraf reports that Israel and the United States have opposed extending the mission, making renewal unlikely. UNIFIL deputy commander Herve Lecoq says Israeli forces are establishing semi-permanent positions and denying requests to rebuild civilian infrastructure. The report presents the peacekeeping force’s access as a rare view of conditions behind Israeli lines and highlights the growing difficulty of monitoring the ceasefire and restoring civilian life.