Israeli Defense Minister, Israel Katz, highlighted this Friday that control of the mountainous area of Ali al-Taher had consolidated his country’s position in southern Lebanon, increasing concerns that Israel intends to prolong an occupation that has already lasted several months.
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This area, which was taken last Thursday despite the existing ceasefire, is located about ten kilometers from the Lebanon-Israel border and is situated over an extensive underground Hezbollah base, the Lebanese militant group that Jerusalem has long been fighting against, as reported by The New York Times.
Katz stated in a video statement that the capture of Ali al-Taher marked “the culmination of the process of consolidating our control over the security zone in southern Lebanon”, referring to a strip of Lebanese territory occupied by Israel along the border.
The Secretary of State also explained that the operation was launched after receiving “information about the existence of Hezbollah command and control tunnels” in the area.
He then detailed that these tunnels “had command centers to launch attacks” against Israeli forces deployed in Lebanon and against Israeli territory.
“They served as the final command post for the defense of the Nabatiye region, very important for Hezbollah (…) hence their strategic importance”, he emphasized.
Similarly, Katz praised the actions of the soldiers who participated in the offensive and highlighted that “the mission was completed and the tunnels were cleared of terrorists.”
“Now, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will complete the neutralization of the tunnels and will prepare tactically to maintain the position and prevent the enemy from reestablishing itself in the area,” he said.
In June, Israel and Lebanon agreed on a US-mediated cooperation framework aimed at ending the fighting and, ultimately, restoring Lebanese control over the south of the country, as recalled by The New York Times.
But the truce has weakened and clashes between both sides have continued in southern Lebanon. Thus, this very Friday the Israeli army announced the start of a new round of attacks in response to a Hezbollah drone attack against its soldiers.
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