Israel says it destroyed Hezbollah base in Lebanon's Ali al-Taher ridge, as forces stay in area

Israel said its forces destroyed Hezbollah underground infrastructure at the Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon and would remain there to stop the group from re-establishing itself. The ridge lies about 15 km from the Israeli border and has become one of the most contested points in the cross-border conflict. Lebanese state media reported a powerful blast at the site, with tremors and the sound of the explosion felt across Nabatieh and nearby areas.

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In a joint statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israeli forces would stay in the area after what they described as the consolidation of a security zone. The military said it had established operational control over the ridge, both above and below ground, before dismantling the infrastructure. It said the network stretched for more than 2 km and included dozens of rockets, missiles and drones, as well as anti-tank missiles, mines and explosive devices.

The Israeli military also said the underground complex contained a central command site for Hezbollah's Badr unit, along with weapons storage rooms and living quarters. Katz said last week that Israeli forces had driven Hezbollah fighters out of a tunnel network under the disputed highland. Hezbollah had not responded to the latest attack at the time of reporting.

The Lebanese National News Agency said the blast was powerful enough to be felt across southern Lebanon, underlining the scale of the strike. The operation matters because the ridge sits close to the border and overlooks parts of southern Lebanon and northern Israel, making it strategically significant in a conflict defined by control of high ground and concealed military infrastructure. Israeli officials have framed the area as part of a wider effort to prevent Hezbollah from rebuilding its capabilities near the frontier.

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The strike also comes amid continued cross-border tensions despite a ceasefire agreed in June, showing that the area remains unstable. The supporting material says Israeli strikes and ground operations around the ridge have continued in recent weeks, even after Israel said it had gained control of nearby Beaufort Castle and part of the surrounding high ground. It also says Hezbollah is believed to have built an underground command centre and weapons stores there in July, according to unnamed Lebanese security sources cited in reporting.

Those claims have not been independently verified in the supplied material, but they point to the ridge's role in the wider military contest along the border. What remains unclear is the full extent of the damage underground and whether all of the reported weapons and facilities were destroyed. It is also not clear how Hezbollah will respond, or whether the latest strike will lead to further escalation along the border.

The next developments to watch are any statement from Hezbollah, further Israeli claims about the area, and whether the ceasefire environment in southern Lebanon holds.

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