Israel claims destruction of Hezbollah tunnel network on Ali al-Taher ridge

In a joint statement, Israel's prime minister and defense minister reported that the Israeli military destroyed a network of tunnels belonging to Hezbollah on the Ali al-Taher ridge, a contested area in southern Lebanon. They described the tunnels as a long-standing terror infrastructure, built with Iranian support, that provided observation and fire dominance over the Israeli towns of Metula and Kiryat Shmona and could serve as a staging base for an assault on the Galilee.

The strike, described as completing operational control of the ridge above and below ground, follows earlier claims that Hezbollah fighters entrenched in the tunnels had been killed or had fled. Lebanese authorities and Hezbollah have not responded. The development occurs as Israel and Lebanon prepare for a new round of US-backed negotiations in Rome later this month, after Iran warned the United States against Israeli action on the ridge.