Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announces that a senior Hamas militant had been detained in Gaza City, in a location given as Netiv HaAsara, Ashkelon, Israel, in this screen grab taken from a handout video released on Sept. 1, 2026. (Credit: Israeli Defense Ministry/Handout via Reuters)
BEIRUT — The announcement came as something of a surprise. After several months of daily attacks on the Ali Taher ridge, a strategic height overlooking the Nabatieh region in southern Lebanon, and amid reports of preparations for an Israeli offensive, the Israeli army declared Friday that it had taken "operational control" of the area. No attacks were reported on the ridge itself on Friday, except for artillery fire around Dabsheh and Dohat Kfar Roummane, on the northern extension of the hill, according to our correspondent in southern Lebanon, Mountasser Abdallah.
"The capture of the Ali Taher ridge marks the completion of control over the security zone in south Lebanon," Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Friday in a video released by his office. The Israeli army will "now finish neutralizing those tunnels" and reinforce its positions on the ridge to "prevent the enemy from regaining a foothold in the area," he added. "Israel will not withdraw from the security zone in Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed," Katz insisted.
Until Friday evening, Hezbollah had not issued any official response, apart from a comment by MP Ihab Hamadeh, who questioned "the reality of Israeli control over the hill" in an interview with the Arabic service of Russian radio Sputnik. "Its takeover by Israel does not constitute a catastrophe militarily, nor does it mark the end of the road, especially since the resistance put up a legendary fight at Ali Taher," he said.
He also voiced skepticism: "How can the enemy claim to control the Ali Taher hill when it continues to bomb it and carry out strikes there continuously, considering it controls it from the air or geographically encircles it completely, without its forces having managed to penetrate the facility or take ground control?" he said.
However, the Israeli army had ceased all attacks on the ridge by Friday. "Israel has not published any images confirming it has taken Ali Taher," Hamadeh also noted. The Israeli announcement was made from what appeared to be a tunnel, though its location could not be identified.
Weapons, computers and fighters 'neutralized'
Already on Thursday evening, local sources close to our correspondent were downplaying the significance of the Israeli announcement. According to them, the Israeli army may have entered some Hezbollah structures on the Ali Taher ridge, but not all of them. They also said that a "small structure" belonging to Hezbollah on Ali Taher had recently been taken by the Israeli army, without affecting the strategic situation in the area.
"In recent weeks, the 36th Division has dismantled two underground tunnels in the Ali Taher ridge sector, located inside the security zone. Israeli forces have taken operational control of the area, both above and below ground, and cleared it of terrorists who were there. Some were killed, others fled," the Israeli army said in a statement Thursday evening. It said it had "completed the dismantling of Hezbollah’s underground infrastructure on the heights of Ali Taher and is working to neutralize it."
"The operation to neutralize these now terrorist-free underground facilities is ongoing. Once the operation is complete, the Israeli army will redeploy defensively, according to the situation assessment," it added. "The terrorists inside these structures were planning attacks against the State of Israel and its forces. Thanks to the operations in these tunnels in recent weeks, the ability to carry out attacks against Israeli citizens and the army from these tunnels has been neutralized," the statement read.
The Israeli army also said it had discovered "operations rooms, weapons caches, rooms with generators, living quarters, showers and a kitchen, allowing the terrorists to fight and be stationed for extended periods" inside the tunnels. "This strategic infrastructure was built over a period of 20 years, financed and planned by the Iranian terrorist regime," the statement said.
A 'strategic success,' Netanyahu boasts
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also praised the capture Thursday night, calling it a "strategic success." "Excellent news tonight. The army has cleared the Ali Taher ridge, near Beaufort, which was used as a strategic position from which Hezbollah harassed Kiryat Shmona and Metula," two communities in northern Israel, he said.
According to Netanyahu, the pro-Iranian group had threatened "to conquer the Galilee" from the hill. He congratulated the army for having "neutralized weapons and computers" found under the hill, claiming Hezbollah had "tried to prevent" the capture of the ridge and "many terrorists were eliminated there." "Today we can say: the Ali Taher ridge no longer threatens us," he declared.
No information is available on the number of Hezbollah fighters killed during the operations, as the group no longer officially announces its casualties. While some sources had reported in recent weeks that Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fighters were present in the tunnels under Ali Taher, an Israeli military source quoted by the daily Maariv said this was not the case.
"Although the tunnels were built by Iran, no Iranian adviser or Revolutionary Guard member has been found since the army began operating in the area," the source said. "Some terrorists present in the tunnels of the Ali Taher ridge were killed. Others managed to escape on their own," she added.
The Ali Taher ridge had been in Israel’s sights even before the resumption of war on March 2, 2026. During the 15-month cease-fire that began in November 2024, Israel continued carrying out attacks in southern Lebanon and regularly struck the strategic height.
On Thursday, rumors were rife about a possible major offensive against the hill. According to Reuters, Iran warned the United States that day that it would respond forcefully to any Israeli offensive against the strategic point, where Iranian troops were believed to be entrenched alongside Hezbollah fighters.
Israel’s announcement came earlier the same day as authorities reported the release of five Lebanese detainees as a gesture of “goodwill” toward Lebanon and a step toward the resumption of direct negotiations later this month.
In addition to the announcement regarding Ali Taher, Israeli attacks continued, though at a less intense pace than in recent days.
Overnight Thursday to Friday in the Nabatieh region, large explosions were heard in Kfar Tibnit, while artillery fire targeted Doha Kfar Roummane, Kfar Roummane, Mayfadoun and Nabatieh Fawqa. Israeli soldiers also set up a new observation post in a house in Zawtar Sharqieh overnight.
The Israeli army also carried out several demolitions in Mansouri, in the Sour district, where artillery and machine-gun fire was heard overnight. During the bombardment, a Merkava tank positioned in Bayyada fired several shells toward the coastal village. During the day, further artillery fire hit Mansouri, which also saw two demolitions.
In the Bint Jbeil district, in the central sector, large explosions were heard in Sarbine, while Haddatha was hit by medium-caliber machine-gun fire. In the Marjayoun district, artillery fire also struck Qantara and Khiam.
