Several dozen Hezbollah operatives are trapped inside a tunnel complex in Southern Lebanon's Ali al-Taher Ridge, with supplies expected to run out within days, according to Channel 12 News. Israeli Defense Forces soldiers are positioned at tunnel exits, preventing the estimated 40 operatives from leaving. The military is preparing for the possibility of a surprise attack as supplies diminish.
The Ali al-Taher Ridge contains an extensive tunnel complex stretching more than a kilometer underground that served as a command-and-control center and housed weapons depots and rocket-launching facilities. The ridge has become the main point of friction between the IDF and Hezbollah and represents the most complex area for Israeli ground operations in Lebanon. The Israeli Air Force previously struck the tunnel complex but was unable to destroy it due to its depth underground.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration is advancing efforts to implement a framework agreement aimed at removing Hezbollah from Southern Lebanon. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in Washington on Sunday to discuss the June 26 agreement, which outlines a gradual Israeli withdrawal from parts of Southern Lebanon alongside increased Lebanese Armed Forces deployment. Rubio said Washington remained committed to supporting the deal and "Lebanon's efforts to deliver security, peace and a better future for the Lebanese people."
Aoun said he told Rubio that Beirut's position should align with the U.S. Approach, beginning with an Israeli withdrawal from the first "pilot zone." Israeli and Lebanese delegations held a sixth round of U.S.-mediated talks last week, agreeing on guidelines for implementing the initial pilot zones and moving into a technical phase of negotiations. Aoun is scheduled to meet President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday and senior administration officials and members of Congress.