Netanyahu Declares Southern Lebanon “Security Zone” Complete After Tunnel Demolition

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the reported destruction of Hezbollah infrastructure at Beaufort Castle and the Ali al-Taher ridge had completed the establishment of a southern Lebanese “security zone.” He characterized the operation as a “massive victory” and said Israel would continue to destroy what it calls terrorist infrastructure in that zone. 358

Israel says it destroyed two tunnels beneath the Ali al-Taher ridge using 1,100 tonnes of explosives. The detonation coincided with a magnitude 4.1 tremor recorded in the area by the U.S. Geological Survey. Israeli accounts described the site as a Hezbollah command complex with living quarters and weapons stockpiles; those descriptions are claims by Israel and were not independently verified in the reporting cited here. 34

Netanyahu’s warning to Israel’s adversaries

Following the operation, Netanyahu warned that any force attacking Israel would face severe retaliation, described in reports as “even harsher blows.” His statement paired that deterrent message with a pledge to continue targeting Hezbollah infrastructure in the claimed security zone. 811

What was reported elsewhere in southern Lebanon

Lebanese state-media reporting, relayed by several outlets, described continuing Israeli military activity beyond Ali al-Taher:

• Tyre district: Reports said Al-Mansouri came under artillery fire and strikes, with more than 30 explosions later reported there. Homes were said to have been damaged or destroyed, and fires reported. Earlier reporting also described an Israeli Merkava tank and D9 bulldozer entering the town. 19
• Nabatieh and Marjayoun districts: Lebanese reports described airstrikes and artillery fire in several areas, including strikes near Nabatieh al-Fawqa and shelling in the wider Nabatieh area. 18
• Bint Jbeil district: Reports described attacks and demolitions in the district, while a September 14 account cited machine-gun fire toward Beit Yahoun.
• School damage: Lebanon’s National News Agency, as cited by Anadolu, said most of a public school in Al-Mansouri was demolished amid shelling and an airstrike. 17

These accounts describe reported operations and damage; they do not provide an independently verified, comprehensive incident-by-incident record across every town.

Why the “security zone” claim matters for the U.S.-mediated framework

The June agreement between Israel, Lebanon and the United States set out a phased arrangement under which the Lebanese Armed Forces would progressively take responsibility in designated areas and disarm non-state armed groups, while Israel would progressively redeploy from southern Lebanon. Hezbollah was not a party to the agreement and has rejected the disarmament premise.

That sequencing is now the central obstacle. Israel has said its forces can remain in southern Lebanon until Hezbollah disarms, while the framework also envisages a gradual Israeli withdrawal as Lebanese forces assume control.

Israel presents its declared security zone and continuing operations as necessary while Hezbollah remains armed. Lebanese reporting and critics of the arrangement view an ongoing Israeli military presence and continued attacks as at odds with the promised path toward redeployment and restored Lebanese state authority. The framework’s practical test is therefore not simply whether a deal exists, but whether its linked steps—Hezbollah disarmament, Lebanese army deployment and Israeli withdrawal—can move forward together.

Aoun’s position and the status of talks

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has reiterated that arms should be brought under state authority and that the Lebanese army’s control should extend across the country. During a visit to Nabatieh after the tunnel demolition, he also said there were no new talks with Israel at that time; reporting said a planned U.S.-mediated negotiating round had been postponed to October. 2

Available reporting does not substantiate specific progress on border demarcation or prisoner issues, nor does it reliably identify a planned visit by a U.S. general. Those claims should therefore be treated as unconfirmed.