Israel Destroys Hezbollah Underground Complex in Southern Lebanon

Massive blast near Israeli border exposes Iranian-backed Hezbollah infrastructure as Jerusalem vows to maintain security zone until northern communities are safe

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) destroyed a major underground Hezbollah complex in southwestern Lebanon on Sunday, uncovering hundreds of weapons, rocket launch silos, and infrastructure the military said was built with Iranian technology and expertise.

The complex, located near Majdal Zoun roughly five miles north of the Israeli border, was inside the IDF-controlled security zone in southern Lebanon. According to the IDF, the tunnel stretched more than 650 feet and reached depths of more than 80 feet underground.

Inside, Israeli forces discovered hundreds of weapons and several launch shafts aimed toward Israeli territory. The IDF said the site also functioned as part of Hezbollah’s military infrastructure, including capabilities tied to drone production and rocket fire.

“The underground complex was constructed using technology and expertise provided by the Iranian terror regime,” the IDF said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel notified the United States and the American representative in Lebanon before the demolition took place.

“Israel updated the United States and the American representative in Lebanon in advance regarding the destruction of the infrastructure,” Netanyahu and Katz said in a joint statement.

They added that the site “contained hundreds of weapons and several launch silos intended to target the territory of the State of Israel and its citizens.”

The explosion from the demolition was so powerful that it reportedly shook windows across parts of northern Israel’s Galilee region. Local councils warned residents that possible earthquake alerts could be triggered by the blast and urged them not to panic.

The operation came just days after Israel and Lebanon signed a U.S.-brokered framework agreement in Washington aimed at removing Hezbollah from southern Lebanon and dismantling its military infrastructure. The agreement, described by Israeli officials as historic, is conditioned on Hezbollah’s disarmament and withdrawal from areas near the Israeli border.

Netanyahu and Katz said Israeli forces would remain in southern Lebanon’s security zone as long as necessary.

“IDF commanders and fighters will remain in the security zone in Southern Lebanon and will continue to destroy terrorist infrastructure, remove threats to northern communities and safeguard the security of Israel’s citizens,” they said.

On Sunday, the IDF also struck three Hezbollah command centers and a launch pad in southern Lebanon, saying the Iranian-backed group had violated the truce agreement by continuing attacks on Israeli soldiers operating in the security zone.

The military said Hezbollah continued to use a launcher to direct attacks against Israeli troops before it was dismantled.

“The IDF will remove any threat posed to IDF soldiers and will not allow the Hezbollah terrorist organization to harm Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers,” the military said.

The latest escalation underscores the fragility of the new framework agreement. Under reported terms of the arrangement, the Lebanese Armed Forces are expected to deploy in selected pilot zones after Israeli forces withdraw from those specific areas. The first such deployments were reportedly planned for the towns of Zawtar and Froun under U.S. supervision.

However, Israeli officials have made clear there will be no automatic withdrawal from southern Lebanon. According to reports citing the agreement’s unpublished security annex, Israel will retain freedom of action against immediate and emerging threats inside the security zone.

Defense Minister Katz said Saturday that the IDF had been instructed to prepare for a “prolonged stay” in southern Lebanon.

“The key principle established in the framework is that there will be no Israeli redeployment from Southern Lebanon, no withdrawal whatsoever, as long as the Hezbollah terrorist organization has not been disarmed throughout Lebanon, and the safety of northern residents is guaranteed,” Katz said.

Hezbollah renewed rocket and drone attacks from southern Lebanon on March 2, following the targeted killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran on Feb. 28, the opening day of Israel’s “Operation Roaring Lion.” Israel responded with a broad aerial campaign against Hezbollah targets and expanded military operations in Lebanon to prevent further cross-border attacks on northern Israeli communities.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun later vowed to do “the impossible” to stop the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah and moved to outlaw the Iranian proxy. Israeli and Lebanese officials then held five rounds of direct talks at the U.S. State Department, leading to Friday’s framework agreement.

Still, skepticism remains high among northern Israeli leaders, many of whom remember previous agreements that failed to remove Hezbollah from the border.

The question now is whether Lebanon’s government and military can do what past agreements failed to accomplish — dismantle Hezbollah’s terror infrastructure before another round of war erupts on Israel’s northern border.

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