IDF Seizes Ali al-Taher Ridge 10 Kilometers From Israel, Crippling Key Hezbollah Base
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 8
IDF Seizes Ali al-Taher Ridge 10 Kilometers From Israel, Crippling Key Hezbollah Base
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 8
Summary
Israeli troops said they secured operational control of Ali al-Taher ridge above and below ground after weeks of fighting, clearing two underground routes and driving out or killing Hezbollah fighters.
The ridge, about 10 kilometers from the Israeli border, had been a major Hezbollah stronghold and a planned staging point for attacks into Israel’s Galilee, according to Israeli analysts.
Israeli experts say the wider campaign has destroyed about 90% of Hezbollah’s rocket and missile arsenal, leaving the group with roughly 10,000 to 15,000 rockets and sharply reduced invasion capacity.
Hezbollah is still trying to rebuild with Iranian money, smuggling and training, though analysts say Syria’s regime change and tighter routes through Lebanon and Syria have made rearmament harder.
The capture also undercuts a failed U.S.-backed proposal for the Lebanese army to take the ridge, reinforcing Washington’s view that a drastically weakened Hezbollah must be disarmed and dismantled.
As Israel dismantles strategic border networks, will the Lebanese military successfully fill the power vacuum before a new insurgent threat emerges?
With its vast underground fortresses destroyed and Syrian supply lines severed, can Hezbollah survive its transformation into a fractured guerrilla force?