Hezbollah's tunnels: Israeli army claims tunnels are a key focus of military operations

Report by Toni Mrad, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

The Israeli army has recently seized a tunnel that it claims is a Hezbollah stronghold during its ground incursions along the Lebanese border. 

According to the Israeli military, one of the primary objectives of its incursion is to destroy or seal off Hezbollah tunnels to prevent their use in targeting Israel or for infiltration into the Galilee region.

The issue of Hezbollah tunnels is not new; it dates back to the aftermath of the 2006 war, according to Israel's Alma Research and Education Center. 

The center alleges that Hezbollah has built a vast network of tunnels with assistance from North Korean and Iranian sources, significantly larger than the tunnel systems in the Gaza Strip.

Since 2018, Israeli forces have focused on these tunnels, highlighted by Operation Northern Shield, during which six tunnels were reportedly destroyed. 

Hezbollah tunnels have become a top priority for Israeli defense, particularly as the group's Secretary-General, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, has repeatedly threatened northern settlers through these channels.

Israel claims that tunnels exist in various regions of Lebanon, prompting its intelligence agencies to actively seek and target these locations over the years. 

Militarily, these tunnels are focal points of Israeli operations, while politically, they serve as a means for Israel to link Hezbollah's actions to violations of U.N. Resolution 1701.

While Israel has routinely violated Resolution 1701 through airspace violations into Lebanon and using these airways to strike Syria, it now seeks to leverage the tunnel issue to exert pressure on UNIFIL forces to withdraw from South Lebanon. 

Recent Israeli reports have included using video footage to suggest the presence of a tunnel near a UNIFIL observation post.

In summary, the tunnel war continues as long as Israeli ground operations in Lebanon persist.