Security officials are expected in the coming days to decide how to carry out the destruction phase in what they consider the most effective way.
Footage of the strikes following Hezbollah violations yesterday
The operations by commando forces and the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit were conducted under the command of the IDF’s 36th Division.
Hezbollah’s leadership is deeply concerned by Israel’s determination to eliminate its remaining assets on the ridge and is seeking ways to stop the operation, according to Israeli security assessments.
Israeli officials believe Hezbollah is trying to draw Iran more directly into the confrontation in an effort to create a new deterrence equation that would prevent Israel from destroying the infrastructure.
At the same time, Israel’s security establishment is closely watching Washington and President Donald Trump, hoping the United States will not pressure Israel to halt the operation before it is completed.
Once a decision is made to finish the operation, IDF forces are expected to withdraw to defensive positions farther back. Preparations for that move are already underway.
The military’s goal is to establish a significant and fortified defensive line ahead of the Jewish holiday period, while continuing to maintain the existing framework with Lebanon in designated pilot areas.
Israeli military officials acknowledge, however, that developments on the ground have not yet produced progress they consider satisfactory.
Escalation spreads across southern Lebanon
Tensions around the ridge are rising as the cycle of escalation in southern Lebanon widens.
On Saturday, Hezbollah launched two explosive drones toward Israeli troops controlling the security area in southern Lebanon. One of the drones was intercepted by troops, and no Israeli casualties were reported.
Strikes in Lebanon overnight in the villages of Al-Mansouri and Roumine
The IDF described the launches as a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement and responded with a broad wave of airstrikes in the Nabatieh area and elsewhere in southern Lebanon.
Israeli fighter jets struck what the military described as Hezbollah weapons storage facilities and military buildings.
The IDF also said it struck an active Hezbollah command center established inside a building that had previously served as a hospital.
According to the military, Hezbollah operatives had recently used the site to advance attack plans, conduct surveillance and direct artillery fire.
Before the strikes, the IDF said it took steps intended to reduce harm to civilians, including issuing an urgent evacuation warning to residents of the village of Arab Salim and instructing them to remain about 300 meters from the targeted site.
The military said it would continue operating forcefully around the Ali Taher Ridge and across southern Lebanon to remove threats and would not allow Hezbollah to attack Israeli troops or civilians, while maintaining Israel’s commitment to the ceasefire agreement.
The tension surrounding the ridge is expected to continue in the coming days as Israeli officials determine how best to destroy the remaining infrastructure.
For now, the IDF’s objective is to complete the operation without triggering repercussions that could spread into other arenas.