Israeli Army Claims Destruction of Hezbollah Underground Facilities in Southern Lebanon Using Over a Thousand Tons of Explosives

On September 10, Xinhua News Agency reported from Jerusalem (reporters Feng Guorui and Wang Zhuolun) that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Katz issued a joint statement on the evening of the 10th, stating that the Israeli military destroyed underground facilities of Hezbollah located beneath the Alita Hill in southern Lebanon that day. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that over 1,100 tons of explosives were used during the demolition.

The IDF claimed that these underground facilities belonged to the Hezbollah Badr Brigade, which is responsible for the area north of the Litani River in southern Lebanon. The tunnel network consists of 8 passages with a total length of 5.4 kilometers, serving as the "nerve center" for the brigade.

The IDF reported that dozens of Iranian-made rockets, missiles, and drones, as well as firearms, anti-tank missiles, hundreds of landmines, and other explosives were found within the tunnels. The IDF also stated that these underground facilities took about 20 years to construct, funded and designed by Iran, and their destruction signifies the IDF's completion of "operational control" over the Alita Hill.

Netanyahu and Katz stated in the announcement that this operation solidified the IDF's control over the "security zone" in southern Lebanon, and the IDF will continue to be deployed in the area to prevent Hezbollah militants from re-entering.

Israeli media reported on the evening of the 10th that prior to the demolition operation, local governments in the northern region had informed residents that the IDF would carry out a series of strikes and "controlled demolitions" within Lebanese territory, and that the sound of explosions might be heard locally. Later that evening, residents in multiple areas of southern Lebanon and northern Israel reported hearing loud explosions.