Lebanon12 September, 20263 min read
Netanyahu Says Israeli Forces Removed Huge Iran-Funded Hezbollah Weapons From Ali Al-Taher Heights
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Netanyahu says Israel removed large quantities of Hezbollah weapons from Ali al-Taher Heights. Ali al-Taher Heights were hit by Israeli airstrikes causing widespread destruction.
Ali al-Taher Heights fall
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that the Israeli military removed “huge quantities” of weapons that he said were funded by Iran from the Ali al-Taher Heights in southern Lebanon ahead of completing a demolition operation earlier in the day. Netanyahu made the remarks in a recorded statement from the Israeli town of Metula, where he appeared alongside Israeli Army Minister Israel Katz and military commanders. Israeli Army Minister Israel Katz announced the completion of the destruction of a Hezbollah tunnel network in the Ali al-Taher Heights, saying the tunnels had been built over 15 years with Iranian funding and support.
Israeli Army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said the “Yellow Line” in southern Lebanon would remain under full Israeli military control, threatening an immediate and forceful response to any attack targeting communities in northern Israel or Israeli forces. The Israeli military spokesperson said forces from the 36th Division had completed the destruction of a tunnel network and infrastructure extending for more than two kilometers in the area, which she said had been used as a command-and-control headquarters for Hezbollah’s Badr Unit.
Tehran blame game
In Tehran, Iran’s hardliners turned the fall of the Ali al-Taher heights into a blame game against negotiators of the June deal with Washington, with the clause on Lebanon described as a victory that defenders now say has been dead for two months. Iran International said the heights, overlooking the city of Nabatieh in southern Lebanon, came under heavy Israeli attack this week, and that on Thursday night explosions destroyed underground facilities that the Israeli military said included command centers and weapons tunnels running more than two kilometers. The report said hardliners argued Israel could not have taken the heights had Tehran not tied its own hands by signing the agreement with the United States on June 28.
Iran International quoted Mohammad-Saeed Ahadian, a journalist and political aide to the Ghalibaf, writing on X that “For nearly 60 days, the agreement that imposed restrictions has not been implemented,” while a defense argument from Vahid Hajipour said the fall was a consequence of the agreement's collapse, not its terms. Arab News reported that after the Ali Al-Taher blasts, the strategic implications remained uncertain, asking whether Israel would stop after destroying the heights or seize further Lebanese territory to gain additional leverage ahead of direct negotiations with Lebanon.
Displacement and leverage
Arab News said Nabatiyeh and surrounding villages, along with towns and villages in Jezzine, Hasbaya and Marjayoun, were shaken by massive explosions on Thursday night as Israel destroyed large parts of the Ali Al-Taher heights in southern Lebanon. It reported that the areas affected by the detonation of an estimated 1,100 tons of explosives were rocked by a tremor measuring more than magnitude 4, and that villages were brought to a standstill with a new wave of displacement beginning by the following day. Ici Beyrouth described Kfar Tebnit as devastated after the Ali el-Taher explosions, saying homes, villas, and businesses were severely damaged and several buildings were completely leveled by the force of the blasts.
Ici Beyrouth said the blasts caused a tremor felt like a 4.1 magnitude earthquake on the Richter scale and that Israel is said to have used nearly 1,200 tons of explosives, while raids, blasting, and artillery fire continued. Arab News also reported that an official Lebanese source told it that military and political authorities expected the Israeli advance to stop at the Ali Al-Taher heights, and the source rejected Israeli reports that the eighth round of direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel would take place in Rome next Tuesday and Wednesday.