Full Breakdown
IDF Demolishes Hezbollah Tunnel Network on Beaufort Ridge
8/5/2026, 2:06:20 AM
Operation Overview
In a limited night operation inside Israel’s security zone in southern Lebanon, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) detonated approximately 700 tons of explosives to destroy underground tunnels beneath the Beaufort Castle area on the Ali al-Taher Ridge. The blast, carried out between Thursday and Friday, followed an explosive-drone strike on an IDF engineering vehicle that the military described as a cease-fire violation. During the same overnight clash, IDF troops identified and killed several Hezbollah operatives, while an Israeli combat officer was moderately wounded and evacuated for treatment.
Background and Tunnel Network
Senior officers of the IDF Northern Command said the tunnels had been excavated over two decades with planning and funding from the Iranian regime. According to the military, the subterranean complex served as a central command hub for Hezbollah’s Badr Unit, enabling surveillance, intelligence gathering, and the launch of drones, explosive UAVs and anti-tank missiles against Israeli forces and civilians in the Galilee Panhandle. The network extended roughly six kilometers from Metula and was considered critical to Hezbollah’s operational plans for attacks on Israel.
Data and Scale
- Explosives used: about 700 tons, according to the IDF.
- Tunnel depth and extent: multiple levels spanning the Beaufort Ridge, described as “major underground routes” and a “central command compound.”
- Casualties: several Hezbollah terrorists killed; one Israeli combat officer moderately wounded.
- Previous incident: on July 7, a female soldier from the IDF’s Oketz canine unit killed a Hezbollah terrorist in Bint Jbeil.
Official Statements & Responses
IDF spokespeople emphasized that the demolition removed a “significant portion” of the tunnel network and that the operation was part of a broader effort to secure the Beaufort Ridge after weeks of preparation. Senior Northern Command officers warned that similar underground sites likely remain in southern Lebanon and that the Lebanese Armed Forces lack the capability to neutralize them. They also noted that further action could be constrained by political decisions and U.S. restrictions.
Impact and Next Steps
The blast visibly altered the Beaufort Ridge, with residents in Israel’s northern Galilee advised to keep windows open due to the explosion’s force. Lebanese media reported a separate strike in Nabatieh al-Fawqa that wounded two people. The IDF indicated that its forces will continue operating around the Ali al-Taher Ridge, maintaining control of the area while preparing any remaining infrastructure for future demolition.
