The IDF was ordered on Motzei Shabbos to halt fire in southern Lebanon, pausing strikes north of the Yellow Line for now. At the same time, operations inside the line are continuing, with the village of Tebnine emerging as the focal point of the latest fighting in southern Lebanon.

At the heart of the operation is a major Hezbollah underground complex in the Ali Taher Ridge–Beaufort area, near the city of Natabtieh. Israeli security officials describe it as one of Hezbollah’s nerve centers, built with funding from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards—an extensive network of tunnels, subterranean rooms, living quarters, and command‑and‑control hubs. The center serves as a full underground military base, spanning several kilometers, with room for large trucks and other vehicles to enter. It also houses a field hospital and surgical wards.

Israeli security officials say that the site serves as the command center for combat operations in the southern sector, directing attacks, managing medium and long-range missile launches, and housing large stockpiles of weapons. Due to its depth and extensive fortifications, the compound cannot be effectively neutralized through airstrikes alone. Israel’s repeated attempts to destroy the complex with bunker-busting bombs have been unsuccessful.

“We must not withdraw from there,” a senior IDF official said. “This is a mission of moral significance with the goal of protecting the residents of the north.”

The official added that the IDF currently maintains operational control of the area, with dozens of Hezbollah terrorists trapped inside the compound and unable to escape. Israeli officials believe that Hezbollah’s recent escalation in attacks is partly driven by an effort to relieve pressure on its terrorists trapped in the site.

Additionally, Israeli security officials believe that the exposure of the complex—and the military pressure now being applied around it—is part of the backdrop to Iran’s intensified push for a ceasefire. Israel has emphasized that any cessation of fire does not apply to actions needed to neutralize immediate threats to its forces or dismantle terrorist infrastructure within the area where the IDF is operating.

Over the past day, IDF forces have been fighting both above and below ground as they close in on the remaining terrorists and work to prevent their escape.

Current estimates indicate that roughly 30 Hezbollah terrorists are trapped inside the underground complex.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)