# Israel Levels Hezbollah Tunnel Network on Ali Taher Ridge, Raising Risk of Retaliation From Lebanon

*Thursday, September 10, 2026 at 8:07 PM UTC — Hamer Intelligence Services Desk*

**Published**: 2026-09-10T20:07:04.662Z (2h ago)
**Category**: conflict | **Region**: Middle East
**Importance**: 9/10
**Sources**: OSINT
**Permalink**: https://hamerintel.com/data/articles/17464.md
**Source**: https://hamerintel.com/summaries

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**Deck**: Israel says it has destroyed Hezbollah’s underground complex on the Ali Taher Ridge in southern Lebanon, a strategic tunnel and weapons network built over years. Massive explosions reported by Lebanese channels aim to secure Israel’s northern front but could trigger a sharp response from Hezbollah or Iran.

Southern Lebanon has been shaken by one of the largest demolitions of the current confrontation. Israel says its forces have destroyed Hezbollah’s underground infrastructure on the Ali Taher Ridge in the south of the country, targeting what it describes as a strategic tunnel and weapons network.

In a joint statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said the operation destroyed Hezbollah’s underground infrastructure on the ridge and completed the organization of a security zone in southern Lebanon. The area is described as part of a long‑term effort to weaken Hezbollah’s presence close to the Israeli border.

According to the Israeli military, the demolished tunnel system ran for more than two kilometers and contained dozens of rockets, missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles of Iranian manufacture, as well as machine guns, mortars, command centers, and means of communication. The network was presented as a core piece of Hezbollah’s ability to store and launch weapons from underground.

Lebanese channels affiliated with Hezbollah reported a massive explosion, comparing it to an earthquake, and local reporting cited a tremor of magnitude 4.1 measured in Lebanon as a result of the blast. Those same channels raised questions about the fate of Hezbollah militants believed to have been inside the tunnels, but there were no confirmed casualty figures.

On the Israeli side, the military released footage of the demolition from the Ali Taher area and said it had prepared for the operation over months. The IDF has stated it is ready for a variety of scenarios, including multi‑front fighting, and Israeli media cited security officials saying the country had raised its alert level out of concern that Iran or Hezbollah could retaliate over the planned demolition.

Lebanese outlets also reported an Israeli strike in the village of Haris in southern Lebanon the same evening, underscoring how the Ali Taher blast sits within a wider pattern of cross‑border military activity.

For civilians in southern Lebanon, the sheer force of the explosions reinforces how intensely militarized the border region has become. For Israel, removing a major tunnel complex north of its territory is meant to reduce the threat of surprise attacks and large‑scale rocket fire. For Hezbollah and Iran, the loss of a long‑built underground asset creates pressure to consider some form of response.

Signals to watch now include whether Hezbollah answers with significant rocket salvos or other attacks across the border, whether Israel reinforces or adjusts its posture in the declared security zone, and whether Iranian messaging links the Ali Taher demolition to other fronts in the region.