Israel Demolishes Massive Hezbollah Underground Bunker in Southern Lebanon

Latest Developments

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) destroyed a nearly mile-long Hezbollah bunker along with a military base belonging to the Iran-backed terrorist group’s elite Radwan Force on October 26. The action marked the biggest such search-and-destroy operation so far during the IDF’s three-week-old ground incursion into south Lebanon. The bunker reportedly took Hezbollah 15 years to build. Several terrorists were eliminated during clashes at the site prior to its demolition.

The IDF used 400 metric tons of explosives to destroy the bunker network in an operation led by the special forces “Yahalom” (“Diamond”) combat engineering unit. The explosion was powerful enough to trigger earthquake alerts from seismic detectors in northern Israel.

The destroyed tunnel would have housed over 100 Hezbollah terrorists. Hezbollah had been planning on attacking northern Israeli communities in an operation named “Conquer the Galilee,” which would have involved a massacre of Israeli civilians reminiscent of the Hamas atrocities in southern Israel on October 7, 2023.

Over the past week, 130 Hezbollah rocket launchers have been located and dismantled by IDF troops, four of which were equipped with approximately 160 ready-to-launch rockets.

Expert Analysis

“This massive Hezbollah staging ground took 15 years to hew out of the rock of southern Lebanon. It cost untold millions and required elaborate secrecy. It will not be easily replaced – if ever. This is the sort of discovery that suggests the Israelis may be nearing the end of what has been an extraordinarily swift and efficient search-and-destroy operation.” — Mark Dubowitz, FDD CEO

“We are witnessing the objectives of Israel’s ground operation in southern Lebanon coming to fruition. The destruction of bunkers, tunnels, and the group’s terrorist infrastructure by the IDF is effectively neutralizing the Hezbollah threat along the Blue Line. This operation is alleviating the fears of 80,000 Israelis who were concerned about the Radwan force’s presence on the northern front—a force tasked with committing a massacre similar to that of October 7. The IDF has decimated this unit’s command leadership, dismantled its infrastructure in southern Lebanon, and eliminated hundreds of its operatives.” — Ahmad Sharawi, FDD Research Analyst

Related Analysis

“At Least Two Killed in Hezbollah Rocket Attack on Israeli Arab Town,” FDD Flash Brief

“Iran Is Using Lebanon’s Airport to Fund Terrorism; The World Must Respond,” by Emanuele Ottolenghi

“Israel Is Hurting Hezbollah. But It Can’t Rely on Lebanon to Finish the Job,” by David Daoud and Ahmad Sharawi

“Israel Strikes at Hezbollah’s Iran-Backed Banks in Lebanon,” FDD Flash Brief