🛡️ IDF DEMOLISHES HEZBOLLAH TUNNELS, TO HOLD SOUTH LEBANON SECURITY ZONE; ROUTE 10 HOLIDAY OPENINGS AND FIRING-ZONE RESTRICTIONS

📍 ALI TAHER RIDGE: HEZBOLLAH TUNNELS DEMOLISHED WITH 1,100+ TONS OF EXPLOSIVES; TROOPS TO REMAIN: The IDF says it used more than 1,100 tons of explosives this evening to demolish Hezbollah’s underground infrastructure beneath the Ali Taher Ridge in southern Lebanon. Footage shows the demolition of the tunnel network, which extended for more than two kilometers within the security zone.

The military said the demolition followed extensive preparations and the recent establishment of operational control over the ridge, both above and below ground. It said the operation was intended to prevent Hezbollah from using the infrastructure to plan and carry out terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers.

Inside the network, troops found dozens of Iranian-made rockets, missiles and UAVs, as well as machine guns, dozens of anti-tank missiles, and hundreds of mines and explosive devices. The IDF said the infrastructure housed a central command complex belonging to Hezbollah’s “Badr” Unit, whose discovery was reported last week. It contained command centers, weapons storage rooms and living quarters that enabled terrorists to direct combat and remain underground for extended periods.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said the destruction, carried out under their directives, completed the establishment of the security zone in southern Lebanon. They described the site as strategic terrorist infrastructure built over two decades with Iranian funding and planning. According to their joint statement, the infrastructure and command center were intended to support a conquest of the Galilee and provided observation and fire control over Metula and Kiryat Shmona.

Netanyahu and Katz said the destruction completed operational control of the ridge above and below ground. IDF forces are preparing to defend the area and prevent Hezbollah’s return. They said troops would remain in the security zone, continue destroying terrorist infrastructure and thwart Hezbollah’s efforts to reestablish itself and rebuild its capabilities. Israel would continue defending northern communities from within Lebanon, with attacks on civilians or troops met with force.

Before the demolitions, Army Radio reported that the military had heightened its alert level over concerns about possible Iranian or Hezbollah retaliation. Northern local authorities notified residents that explosions would be heard in the coming hours. The Upper Galilee Regional Council described a “series of strikes and controlled explosions in Lebanon.” There were no changes to civilian instructions.

🛣️ ROUTE 10 HOLIDAY ACCESS AND FIRING-ZONE RESTRICTIONS: The IDF announced the following openings for hikers in the Paran Regional Brigade sector, near Israel’s western border, during Rosh Hashanah and Sukkot:

• September 11: Ezuz–Mount Harif, 08:30–14:00. • September 12–13: Bar-Lev Lookout–Checkpoint 10/12, 08:30–16:00. • September 25: Ezuz–Mount Harif, 08:30–14:00. • September 26–October 3: Bar-Lev Lookout–Checkpoint 10/12, 08:30–16:00.

Entry requires identification and registration at the entrance. No advance coordination is required.

Military training will continue in firing zones in northern and southern Israel over weekends. Southern firing zones will remain closed to hikers, and the public is asked not to enter restricted areas.

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