Translation of “Lebanon Debate”
The Lebanese front entered a very sensitive phase, after the Israeli army announced that it had achieved “operational control” over the Ali al-Taher Heights, while Israel is preparing for a possible response from Hezbollah, and perhaps from Iran, in conjunction with the continuation of operations aimed at disrupting and destroying the tunnels.
According to a report by journalist Carmela Menashe in the Israeli Broadcasting Authority “Kan”, the Israeli army completed sweeping two underground routes belonging to Hezbollah in the highlands located in southern Lebanon, and achieved operational control above and below the ground, but the process of neutralizing and destroying the tunnels has not yet ended.
The report indicated that Hezbollah responded by launching a march during the night, without having yet issued a clear official position on the developments. On the other hand, Kan quoted sources close to the party as saying that its members withdrew in an organized manner, and that the confrontation in the region had not ended for it.
Israel estimates that the response may begin by launching drones, anti-tank missiles, or missiles towards Israeli forces and the northern settlements. Israeli concerns revolve around whether Hezbollah will be satisfied with a limited response, or whether completing the destruction of the tunnels will open the door to a broader exchange of fire and put the Iranian threat to the test.
According to the report, the forces of the Israeli 36th Division operated during the past weeks in Ali Al-Taher Heights, using ambushes and targeting tunnel openings, bombs and drones, in addition to air and ground fire.
The Israeli army claimed that a number of Hezbollah members who barricaded themselves inside the underground tracks were killed, while others were able to withdraw. He also said that he found inside the complex command and control rooms, weapons warehouses, rooms for electrical generators, kitchens, bathrooms, and accommodation rooms that allowed for a long underground fight.
The Israeli army described the facility as a strategic infrastructure that was established over nearly two decades, with Iranian planning and financing.
The report linked the operation in Ali Al-Taher to the Israeli campaign against Hezbollah’s tunnel network in the Beaufort Castle area, where the Israeli army previously announced the discovery of a complex and multi-level network, which includes a path about one kilometer long, 6 openings, a surgical operating room, weapons depots, and water and electricity infrastructure.
According to the Israeli story, that complex was used as a command and control center for hundreds of members, and about 400 missiles were launched from it towards northern Israel, before it was destroyed at the end of July by about 700 tons of explosive materials.
The report indicated that the Ali Al-Taher Heights overlook the Nabatieh region and the roads linking southern Lebanon to the Al-Tuffah region, which constitutes one of Hezbollah’s historical areas of influence. Israel believes that controlling the heights weakens the party’s ability to move, transport supplies, and launch missiles and drones.
In the background of the operation, the Iranian threat emerges, which, according to a Reuters report, was transferred to the United States via the Sultanate of Oman during August. According to regional sources, Tehran warned that any large-scale Israeli attack to control the heights may be met with a large-scale Iranian military strike.
The sources said that Iran considered that any Israeli ground maneuver to occupy the highlands would constitute a violation of the understandings of the Islamabad Agreement concluded in June, which included a ceasefire in Lebanon.
The report also quoted regional sources briefed on the Iranian side as saying that more than 12 members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, including at least two senior officers, were present inside the facility along with members of Hezbollah. On the other hand, Israeli military authorities had previously estimated that there were no Iranian forces at the site.
Thus, the repercussions of the Ali Al-Taher operation do not stop at the borders of field control, but rather are directly related to the size of Hezbollah’s response, the extent of Iran’s willingness to implement its threat, and the possibility of the front moving from limited responses to a broader confrontation.
