Ali al-Taher escalation: Israel weighs airstrikes and ground operations

Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Mariella Succar

Israeli security officials have decided to expand attacks on Ali al-Taher hill in southern Lebanon, including airstrikes by warplanes and drones, as well as special ground operations by Israeli army units surrounding the area.

The decision comes amid Israeli reports that a number of Hezbollah fighters have managed to emerge from tunnels surrounded on the hill, while others have entered the tunnels to reinforce fighters who remain trapped inside.

According to Israeli security assessments, fewer than 30 Hezbollah and Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps fighters are believed to be inside the tunnels on the hill.

If accurate, the reports would present the Israeli army with growing challenges in an area it has heavily targeted with airstrikes in recent hours.

Entering the fortified tunnel network could pose significant risks to Israeli troops. The army is therefore operating under what it calls a strategy of “gradual pressure” on those trapped inside.

The reported presence of Iranian personnel, according to the Israeli narrative, also adds regional and political sensitivity to the situation.
Despite the challenges, the Israeli army says it is prepared to address the situation and is awaiting political approval.

The escalation in Ali al-Taher also followed a security assessment claiming that Hezbollah was planning to target Israeli forces by planting explosives and carrying out large-scale attacks.

With Israel’s elections about two months away, Tel Aviv is using the Ali al-Taher issue as a potential lever that could reshape the situation on the ground — and possibly the political landscape — amid Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s need to project an achievement on the northern border.