In brief
In a dramatic operation the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) claim to have destroyed a 2‑kilometre Hezbollah tunnel network beneath the Ali Taher Ridge in southern Lebanon, employing 1,000 tonnes of explosives. The detonation produced seismic shock equivalent to a 4.1‑magnitude earthquake, observed by the US Geological Survey. No immediate comment came from Hezbollah or the Lebanese government, but local residents described a terrifying fireball and severe tremors. The strike follows months of conflict and marks a key Israeli effort to establish a “security zone” and neutralise threats in the region. As digital intelligence platforms, including quantum‑computing‑driven surveillance, process real‑time seismic and sensor data, analysts expect rapid insights into the impact and potential civilian casualties.
Israel claims destruction of Hezbollah’s massive underground base
Israel’s military says it has destroyed a large underground complex operated by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) announced that it used more than 1,000 tonnes of explosives to detonate two tunnels that spanned more than 2 km (1.2 miles) beneath the Ali Taher Ridge.
The blast produced seismic activity equivalent to a magnitude 4.1 earthquake, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). This confirmation of ground disturbance adds weight to claims of a strategic strike.
Notably, the nearest Lebanese towns reported a terrifying fireball that lit the night sky. Residents describe an intense sound and a tremor that felt like an earthquake, with cars packed on roads as civilians fled toward Beirut. Tremors were also felt as far as the coastal city of Saida, 40 km to the north.
The IDF highlighted that the underground network housed a command centre used by Hezbollah’s Badr unit and stored dozens of rockets, missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, anti‑tank weapons, mines and explosives. “This was strategic infrastructure that was constructed over two decades, funded and planned by the Iranian terror regime,” the IDF said in a statement on Telegram.
According to the IDF, all terrorists inside the complex were either eliminated or fled. The destruction of the complex was part of a broader mission to destroy eight tunnels and establish a “security zone” in the area, the IDF said.
The strike occurs amid renewed fighting in southern Lebanon, where Israeli forces have expanded operations against Hezbollah positions and continue to hold what Israel describes as a security zone near the border. Lebanese media report fresh Israeli strikes elsewhere in the south on Thursday, including Nabatieh al‑Fawqa and Mansouri in the Tyre district.
The Lebanese army has increased deployments outside the Israeli‑controlled areas, especially in the southern city of Nabatieh, to strengthen stability and reassure residents, local television station MTV reported.
The wider context is the war that escalated in early March when Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel in retaliation for a strike that killed Iran’s supreme leader. Israel responded with a bombing campaign across Lebanon and invaded a significant part of the country’s south, occupying roughly 5 % of Lebanese territory.
Despite a ceasefire agreement between Iran and the US in June, and a separate accord between Lebanon and Israel, conflict continues. The UN estimates that about 330,000 people in Lebanon remain displaced, with Israeli activity and restrictions preventing many from returning to Israeli‑occupied areas. Under the Lebanon‑Israel framework, Hezbollah is expected to disarm, Israeli forces to withdraw gradually, and the Lebanese army to deploy across the area. Hezbollah has rejected direct negotiations.
Israeli strikes and demolitions in southern Lebanon have continued. Health ministry figures show at least 4,383 people—395 women and 259 children—killed by Israeli attacks since 2 March, with no breakdown between combatants and civilians. At least 29 have been killed this week. Israeli authorities report 40 Israeli soldiers and four civilians killed in the same period.
Additional reporting by Raffi Berg in London, Samantha Granville and Ghaith Solh in Beirut.
