Israel Dismantles Hezbollah Facility in Southern Lebanon

On Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the destruction of a Hezbollah underground facility in southern Lebanon which housed numerous weapons and several rocket silos.

The IDF stated, “This underground facility was built with technology and expertise from Iran’s terrorist regime.”

According to the Israeli Prime Minister’s office, the operation took place in the Majdal Zaun region, approximately eight miles north of the Israeli border, within an area controlled by the IDF. This action was reportedly coordinated in advance with the United States.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz noted in a joint statement that Israel had updated the U.S. and its representative in Lebanon prior to the facility’s destruction.

The facility itself, as mentioned, was more than 200 meters long—roughly 650 feet—and over 25 meters deep. It contained many weapons and various launch silos intended for attacks against Israel and its population.

The statement concluded that “IDF commanders and fighters remain in the security areas of southern Lebanon, continuing their efforts to dismantle terrorist infrastructure, mitigate threats to northern communities, and safeguard Israeli citizens.”

Recently, Israel and Lebanon finalized a U.S.-brokered framework agreement aimed at removing Hezbollah from southern Lebanon and dismantling related infrastructure in the region.

The backdrop to these developments includes heightened tensions following the targeted killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, which led Hezbollah to resume rocket and drone strikes against Israel soon after.

In retaliation, Israel initiated a significant air campaign targeting Hezbollah positions and expanded military operations in Lebanon to thwart attacks against its communities.

Amidst this resurgence of conflict, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun pledged to take decisive action to curtail any cross-border hostilities and sought to ban Iranian proxies in Lebanon.

Subsequent negotiations between Israeli and Lebanese officials, held at the U.S. State Department, led to five rounds of discussions, ultimately resulting in a framework requiring Hezbollah’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

Katz remarked on Saturday that Jerusalem has directed the IDF to prepare for a prolonged presence in the southern security zone. He highlighted that a crucial principle of this framework insists on no Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed across the country and the safety of northern Israel’s citizens is assured.