The Israel Defense Forces destroyed terror tunnels in the Beaufort area of southeastern Lebanon, which Hezbollah planned to use to invade communities in the Galilee, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday.
“The tunnels were blown up using approximately 700 tons of explosives, as part of the IDF’s systematic operation to destroy all of Hezbollah’s terror infrastructure in Southern Lebanon,” Netanyahu stated.
He added that the operation follows Hezbollah‘s “blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement” on Wednesday.
“The State of Israel will not accept any violation of the ceasefire agreement,” Netanyahu said. “Any attempt by Hezbollah to harm IDF forces or Israeli citizens will be met with a harsh and powerful response that will exact a heavy price from the terror organization.”
Netanyahu added that the IDF will remain in the Southern Lebanon security zone and continue to destroy terrorist infrastructure.
The IDF confirmed on Friday that Israeli forces had dismantled a major Hezbollah underground tunnel network beneath Beaufort Ridge.
The operation was carried out as part of a limited activity within the security zone in Southern Lebanon, it said. According to the military, the tunnel complex served as a central command center from which Hezbollah commanders directed combat operations and attacks on Israeli troops and civilians.
The IDF said the underground network, built over two decades and funded by Iran, consisted of multiple subterranean levels and functioned as the primary command center for Hezbollah’s Bader Unit in Southern Lebanon.
Located approximately six kilometers (3.7 miles) from Metula and the Galilee Panhandle, the site posed a significant threat to northern Israeli communities, the military said.
During the war, Hezbollah operatives launched dozens of drones, anti-tank missiles and explosive devices from the underground infrastructure at Israeli civilians and IDF forces, according to the military. The IDF said it destroyed a significant portion of the tunnel network during the operation.
The military said Israeli troops had completed several weeks of deployment in the Beaufort Ridge area while maintaining operational control of the tunnel complex and preparing it for demolition.
The IDF noted that forces continue to operate in the nearby Ali Taher Ridge area and remain on high alert for both defensive and offensive scenarios.
“The IDF remains committed to the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon and will continue to operate to remove any threat posed to IDF soldiers,” the military said, adding that attacks on Israeli forces would be met with an appropriate response.
