In a move to prevent attacks similar to Hamas October 7 raid‚ Israel has shifted its focus to dismantling Hezbollah tunnels in southern Lebanon. The operation‚ which began roughly two-and-a-half weeks ago uncovered an extensive underground network‚ raising concerns about potential incursions
Israeli forces‚ having spent much of the past year destroying Hamas underground system in Gaza are now combing through southern Lebanons dense brush. Their aim: to uncover and dismantle Hezbollahs deep attack capabilities‚ which include a tunnel system equipped with weapons caches and rocket launchers
The Israeli military claims to have found “hundreds and hundreds and hundreds“ of underground positions many of which could hold about ten fighters and were stocked with rations. An unnamed military official stated that troops were either blowing up the tunnels or using cement to make them unusable
Hezbollah‚ the Arab worlds most significant paramilitary force has deep ties to southern Lebanon. Many residents‚ who fled the area months ago‚ see the heavily-armed group as their defender. This broad support has allowed Hezbollah to establish “a military infrastructure for itself“ within the villages according to Eva J. Koulouriotis‚ a political analyst specialized in the Middle East and Islamic militant groups
The tunnels‚ carved into solid rock‚ are believed to stretch beyond southern Lebanon. Tal Beeri‚ who studies Hezbollah at The Alma Research and Education Center‚ describes Lebanon as “a land of tunnels“. These underground passages are thought to extend under Beiruts southern suburbs and along the Syrian border used for smuggling weapons and supplies from Iran
Israel says its invasion consists of “limited‚ localized and targeted ground raids“ aimed at destroying Hezbollah infrastructure. However‚ the operation has uprooted more than 1 million Lebanese in the past month. The fighting has also killed more than 1‚700 people in Lebanon about a quarter of whom were women and children‚ according to local health authorities
Hezbollah has openly declared that it plans to carry out its own Oct. 7 massacre on Israelʼs northern border‚ on an even larger scale
While Israel claims success in its mission‚ having killed hundreds of Hezbollah fighters since the ground operation began‚ at least 15 Israeli soldiers have lost their lives during this time. The operation continues as Israel seeks to ensure the safety of its northern communities and prevent any potential large-scale attacks from Hezbollah