The IDF destroyed the terror tunnels in the Beaufort area in southern Lebanon last night (Friday night), minutes after midnight. The tunnels were blown up using approximately 700 tons of explosives.
The activity was carried out by forces of the 36th Division, led by the Northern Command, as part of the activity in the security area in southern Lebanon.
According to an IDF statement, the infrastructure network served as a central terrorist headquarters for Hezbollah's Badr unit in southern Lebanon.
The IDF noted that this is a strategic underground system that was built over about two decades, included several levels, and was funded and planned by the Iranian regime.
The IDF added that the compound, located only six kilometers from Metula, was used to conduct combat and direct fire at IDF forces and Israeli civilians. Dozens of unmanned aerial vehicles, explosive drones, and anti-tank missiles have been launched from the site over the years, and last night a significant portion of the tunnel network was destroyed using approximately 700 tons of explosives.
A joint statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that this was an underground infrastructure that was a central part of the Hezbollah terrorist organization's invasion plan for the Galilee communities.
It was also reported that the operation was carried out following what was defined as a "blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement" by Hezbollah, after a drone was launched at an IDF engineering vehicle.
In the statement, Netanyahu and Katz emphasized that Israel will not accept any violation of the ceasefire agreement. "Any attempt by Hezbollah to harm IDF forces or Israeli citizens will be met with a harsh, powerful response that will exact a heavy price from the terrorist organization.".
In recent weeks, IDF forces have been preparing the tunnel network for destruction, and upon completion of the operational conditions, it was decided to destroy the central infrastructure under the Beaufort Ridge. The operation was approved by the Chief of Staff, and within its framework, they discussed and prepared for the various operational developments.
It should be noted that these are not the routes where Hezbollah terrorists are hiding. There are now several additional underground hideouts in the area, which the IDF is monitoring.
On July 13, 2026, IDF forces destroyed one tunnel from the underground tunnel network, and last night the IDF destroyed several additional underground tunnels from the network - so that now most of the underground tunnel network in the Beaufort Ridge area has been destroyed.
According to the IDF, the forces continue to operate in the Ali Taher Ridge area, while maintaining a high level of readiness for attack and defense, and that the IDF will continue to act to remove any threat to its forces, alongside its commitment to the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon.
