Following its announcement of achieving what it described as “operational control” over the “Ali al-Tahir” height, Israel is preparing for the most sensitive phase in its military operations, which is the bombing of the network of tunnels and huge facilities hidden within the height.
Israeli reports indicate that the army has completed major stages related to inspecting and disabling the tunnels, and is awaiting the green light from the political level to begin the large-scale bombing operations expected within days. On the other hand, no official decision was issued specifying the exact timing of the explosions or the size of the explosives allocated to them, and the nature of the operation remains unclear, whether it will be limited to closing the entrances or will involve blowing up large sectors of the underground network.
Conflicting accounts about the site Israel claims that the site was built over nearly two decades with support and planning from Iran, and contains operations and command rooms, weapons depots, power generators, and living facilities that ensure Hezbollah fighters remain inside it for a long time.
However, this account lacks independent verification; The Israeli army did not publish video evidence proving its tight control over the entire network. In the same context, a Lebanese military source reported that the Israeli forces were content with controlling some of the southern entrances while monitoring the northern entrances with drones, without a clear picture of the extent of their actual incursion into the interior.
For its part, Hezbollah denied that the battle had been resolved, stressing that its fighters would remain in the area, while the available images did not reveal any fixed Israeli military positioning on the surface of the highland, although the absence of elements from the surface did not negate the possibility of their positioning in depth or the ocean.
Environmental repercussions and fears of blurring the facts The trend towards bombing tunnels raises concerns and questions that go beyond purely military dimensions. Blowing up a network of this size may result in tremors and collapsed floors, as well as potential repercussions on groundwater, road networks, and neighboring homes, especially if the tunnel extensions exceed the scope declared by Israel.
Moreover, observers fear that the destruction will erase evidence that reveals the truth about the exact nature of the site and its contents, especially in light of the absence of the Lebanese army, UNIFIL forces, and civilian authorities from the area due to the imposed cordon of fire.
Here the urgent need arises for calls for an independent examination of the facilities before proceeding with their destruction, whether under the supervision of the Lebanese army or a specialized international body, to document the contents of the height and assess the environmental and engineering risks of the explosion. With Israel’s insistence on moving forward with its plan in isolation from any neutral oversight or documentation, the fundamental question remains strongly raised: Will Israel destroy a huge military headquarters as it claims, or will it seek to obliterate the landmarks before any other party can test the veracity of its story?
