The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on 24/6 that they had cornered dozens of Hezbollah members in an underground tunnel system in the village of Kfar Tebnit, subsequently sealing off all entrances.

Two senior Lebanese officials stated that Hezbollah constructed its largest underground facilities in the Ali al-Taher mountain range, near Kfar Tebnit village, approximately 15 km from the Israeli border. The Ali al-Taher range strategically overlooks southeastern Lebanon, including the city of Nabatieh.

Israeli tanks near the border with Lebanon on 22/6. Photo: AFP

According to Israeli officials, Hezbollah has repeatedly used this underground fortress to plan and launch cross-border attacks. They believe the Hezbollah fighters trapped inside the underground fortress are gradually running out of food and water.

A security source revealed that the IDF has conveyed messages through intermediaries to those inside, demanding they "surrender or be eliminated within the underground tunnel system". Other sources indicated that under the current ceasefire framework, Hezbollah members could surrender to the IDF, but they have chosen to hold out in the underground fortress.

"Everything can change quickly. Until then, everyone must understand Israel values an effective demilitarization model to push back Hezbollah and eliminate their facilities from the area," an informed source said. "A similar scenario happened with Hamas members trapped in tunnels in Rafah; they had to come out to fight or surrender."

Israel strikes targets in Lebanon in a video released on 19/6. Video: IDF

Concerns have been raised that Hezbollah's Radwan special unit, which typically avoids direct confrontation with the IDF, might launch an operation to kidnap Israeli soldiers. The aim would be to exchange them for the members currently trapped in the underground fortress.

Israeli soldiers have been instructed to always travel in groups of two to three people, while units are required to ensure rapid coordination between ground and air forces in the event of an attack on tanks, armored vehicles, or other military assets or facilities.

Hezbollah has not yet commented on these reports.

The IDF captured the Beaufort fortress on 31/5, a structure situated on a strategic hill built during the Crusades. The IDF then stated this was the first step in a month-long ground offensive, with the objective of seizing the underground fortress near Kfar Tebnit village, located approximately 4.6 km away.

Locations of Beaufort fortress and Kfar Tebnit. Graphic: RANE

According to Israeli experts, Hezbollah spent more than 20 years constructing this underground system with support from Iran. This complex serves as the headquarters for Hezbollah's Badr unit, a crucial component of the group's frontline defense and its main force in southern Lebanon.

Israel previously controlled the Ali al-Taher range after its 1982 invasion of Lebanon. This was the last area the IDF evacuated when it withdrew in 2000. A Lebanese official noted that Hezbollah's bunkers and underground structures occupy a significant portion of the area.

Security experts suggest Hezbollah was able to build and maintain infrastructure in the Ali al-Taher range because the location is north of the Litani River, outside the operational area of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). This area also falls outside the Lebanese army's mandate for disarming Hezbollah following the 2024 ceasefire agreement.

Nguyen Tien (According to AFP, AP, Jerusalem Post)