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Israel continues strikes on Ali al-Tahir Hill in southern Lebanon
Despite the ceasefire, the Israeli army is carrying out artillery and airstrikes around Ali al-Tahir Hill in southern Lebanon. The attacks on the towns of Ansar and Deir ez-Zahrani in Nabatieh Governorate killed 11 people and injured 19.
Attacks by the Israeli army around Ali al-Tahir Hill in southern Lebanon continue despite the agreement between the parties that provides for a ceasefire and withdrawal. Artillery and airstrikes are being carried out in the area.
Israel intensified its attacks on southern Lebanon from August 15. Airstrikes on the towns of Ansar and Deir ez-Zahrani in Nabatieh Governorate killed 11 people and injured 19.
The Israeli army struck Ali al-Tahir Hill with phosphorus munitions. The area around the Teachers’ Institute and the Husseini Club in the town of Nabatieh al-Fawqa was also targeted in two airstrikes.
Israel presents its attacks as retaliation for Hezbollah action
The Israeli army claimed that the attacks were carried out in response to an action by Hezbollah around the Ali al-Tahir hills, which Israel describes as a “security zone” in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah argued that Israel had expanded the scope of its attacks by targeting civilians. The group said this approach reflected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s desire to escalate the war, strengthen his domestic political position, serve his electoral goals and meet the demands of the far right.
Ali al-Tahir Hill overlooks a wide area
Ali al-Tahir Hill, together with the Dabsheh and Ras al-Tahra hills, forms a chain of elevations. The hill lies between the towns of Kefertibnit and Nabatieh al-Fawqa in southern Lebanon, north of the Litani River.
Located approximately 600 meters above sea level, the hill provides a view over a wide area of southern Lebanon. Nabatieh, Iqlim al-Tuffah, Jabal al-Rihan, the area around the Litani River and other regions can be seen from the hill.
The name “Ali al-Tahir” was initially associated with a religious site in the area. The hill’s military importance increased over time.
Tunnel claims at the strategic hill
Ali al-Tahir Hill is strategically important in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah because of its elevated position and wide field of view. Reports by some Israeli research and media organizations claimed that Hezbollah facilities, fortifications and tunnels were located on the hill.
One of these reports claimed that the hill contained strategic tunnel infrastructure allegedly belonging to Hezbollah and that some underground complexes were more than 1 kilometer long. Hezbollah has neither confirmed nor denied these claims.
Israel’s attempts to establish a military presence on the hill
The military importance of Ali al-Tahir Hill dates back several decades. After invading Lebanon in 1982, the Israeli army established military positions at Ali al-Tahir and at Shakif Castle in Nabatieh Governorate.
During Israel’s occupation of southern Lebanon, which continued until 2000, the position at Ali al-Tahir became one of the area’s significant military fortifications. Before Israel’s withdrawal, the position was one of the targets of attacks carried out by Hezbollah.
Israeli forces have been trying to take control of the strategically important hill since last May. These efforts intensified after the capture of Shakif Castle.
The Israeli army announced on June 26, 2026, that it had taken control of the hill. Hezbollah rejected the announcement and said that its elements remained on the hill.
The military zone in southern Lebanon is expanding
Israel’s military presence in southern Lebanon is not limited to Ali al-Tahir Hill. Assessments based on satellite imagery and field data indicate that the Israeli army has established at least seven new bases and built logistics roads stretching for kilometers across an area of approximately 602 square kilometers under its control.
The area extends up to 12 kilometers from the Israeli border toward the interior of Lebanon at some points. Numerous buildings have been destroyed in villages and towns in southern Lebanon, while infrastructure work is being carried out in areas under control to make the military presence permanent.
In addition to the bases it had previously established near the border, the Israeli army set up new military positions deeper inside Lebanese territory after the fighting resumed in March this year. The army also opened a new 32-kilometer route for logistical transport within the boundaries of the Yellow Line and upgraded existing roads.
Israeli officials signal that they will not withdraw
Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz said that 24 villages with predominantly Shiite populations in southern Lebanon had been destroyed, that the destruction in these villages was complete and that approximately 15,000 to 20,000 homes had been destroyed.
Katz said they would not withdraw from Shakif Castle. The Israeli defense minister also said that he had instructed the army to build the necessary military positions in southern Lebanon “as if we were going to stay there for 50 years.”
Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir also visited one of the areas under the Israeli army’s control in southern Lebanon. Zamir said the ceasefire was “fragile” and that the army needed to be ready to resume attacks; he added that the Northern Command’s main operational focal points were the Ali al-Tahir and Shakif hills.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would maintain a security belt in Lebanon until Hezbollah was disarmed and there was no longer a threat to Israel from Lebanon.
Attacks continue despite the framework agreement
Israel and Lebanon signed a framework agreement on June 26, mediated by the United States, aimed at ending the dispute between the two countries and establishing long-term peace.
The agreement provides for the Lebanese army to reestablish its sovereign authority throughout the country after the verified dismantling of Hezbollah’s weapons and infrastructure. It also calls for the Israeli army to withdraw gradually from the Lebanese territories it occupies, with the first stage of implementation to begin at two pilot centers in the Yellow Line area.
Hezbollah responded to the agreement by arguing that Lebanon’s administration lacked legitimacy. The group said implementing the agreement would be “a gift to Israel” and could push the country into civil war.
Israel’s attacks on southern Lebanon continue despite the agreement’s provision for a gradual withdrawal and negotiations. Israel has maintained a military presence in various areas of southern Lebanon, including areas it seized after the 2023–2024 war, and advanced more than 10 kilometers into Lebanese territory during the latest attacks.
Since March 2, Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed 4,346 people, injured 12,301 and displaced more than 1 million people.
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