Gaza Genocide · updated 1h ago · 3 min read
IDF Destroys Hezbollah’s Ali al-Taher Ridge Tunnels, Says Area No Longer Threatens Israel
IDF destroyed Hezbollah tunnels beneath Ali al-Taher ridge in southern Lebanon. Used 1,100 tonnes of explosives, triggering a 4.1 magnitude tremor.
83 outlets, one story, no spin found.
2 of 4 outlets skipped it: IDF used 1,100 tonnes of explosives.
The Jerusalem Post was read line by line by the Watchdog: 4.5. See the score →
83outlets compared
The New Arab says Hezbollah stayed silent. FDD's Long War Journal reports Al-Manar claiming the battle had not ended.
Ali al-Taher Ridge Struck
Israel’s military campaign in southern Lebanon centered on Ali al-Taher, where Israeli forces said they completed a military operation in the Ali al-Tahir heights and that the area “no longer poses a threat to Israel” after what it described as the end of cleansing operations there.
“no longer poses a threat to Israel”
An-Nahar’s strategic expert Brig. Gen. (ret.) Bassam Yassin told the outlet that Israel’s primary concern has long been “disarming Hizbullah or what it calls ‘disassembling the military apparatus of the party.’”
The IDF said on September 10 that it destroyed more than two kilometers of Hezbollah underground infrastructure beneath southern Lebanon’s Ali al Taher Ridge, and it identified the facility as a central command complex and “nerve center” of Hezbollah’s Badr Unit.
The New Arab reported that Israel said it demolished key tunnels built by the Iran-backed Hezbollah group beneath the strategic Ali al-Taher ridge, with a 4.1 magnitude tremor recorded in the area, and AFP journalists in the area heard several explosions.
The IDF said it used 1,100 tons of explosives to raze 2kms of tunnels under the hill, and it said the blast triggered a 4.1-magnitude earthquake detected by the United States Geological Survey.
Negotiation vs Escalation
While Israeli strikes continued in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese News Agency said Israeli occupation army bombed areas in parallel with tank movements in the town of al-Khyam, and Al Jazeera’s correspondent reported a drone strike on the town of Harouf in the Nabatieh District.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun told reporters that his country chose negotiation because it is a sovereign state, stressing that the decision serves Lebanon’s interest and is not to appease external parties, and he said: “The loser is the one who relies on the outside against the other inside.”
In a separate thread of the same conflict, Ilke Haber Ajansı said Iran warned the United States through Oman that it would respond forcefully and on a wide scale to any broad Israeli attack targeting Tel Ali al-Taher in southern Lebanon.
Reuters-linked reporting in Ilke Haber Ajansı said three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that Iran warned the United States it would respond strongly to any Israeli strike aimed at Tel Ali al-Taher, where Iranian elements are said to be stationed with Hezbollah fighters, and it added that the Hezbollah media office did not confirm or deny the Iranian message.
Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat reported that Israel announced its forces “withdrawn from the Ali al-Taer heights in southern Lebanon and are deployed on rear lines in the Qalaat al-Shqif area,” while it said it would continue to maintain control remotely by fire and surveillance.
What Comes Next
Israel’s stated aim in the Ali al-Taher operation was to dismantle Hezbollah’s underground capabilities, with the IDF describing the facility as a “strategic infrastructure that was built over two decades,” financed and planned by Iran.
“conquer the Galilee”
The Times of Israel reported that Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said the tunnels were intended to serve as a base to “conquer the Galilee,” and it said the IDF was “preparing for defense in the area and to prevent the enemy from returning to the territory.”
The New Arab said Israel’s destruction “completes the achievement of operational control over the Ali al-Taher ridge -- above and below ground,” and it reported that the Israeli army said the Hezbollah infrastructure extended for more than two kilometres and contained dozens of Iranian-made rockets, missiles, and UAVs.
Akaz reported that the American Geological Survey recorded an earthquake measuring 4.1 magnitude in southern Lebanon following the explosions, and it said Washington affirmed the continuation of consultations between Israel and Lebanon under American auspices with the next round of talks “will be held in Rome soon.”
Akaz also said that as the UNIFIL mission’s mandate ends at the end of December 2026, European capitals are examining the future international presence in south Lebanon, with the European Union moving toward augmenting the Lebanese state’s capabilities rather than deploying a new force through an aid program covering the army, security forces, training, equipment, and border monitoring.