IDF Neutralizes Hezbollah Attack Tunnels

As part of the ongoing Operation Northern Shield, the IDF neutralized and destroyed multiple Hezbollah attack tunnels last week. The tunnels, which Hezbollah dug from Lebanon into Israeli territory, represent a flagrant violation of Israeli sovereignty and of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which calls for “the establishment between the Blue Line and the Litani River of an area free of any armed personnel, assets and weapons other than those of the Government of Lebanon and of UNIFIL.”

There has been an ongoing effort by Lebanese officials and journalists aligned with Hezbollah to dismiss this threat. They have claimed that these tunnels do not exist; a claim disproved by images and video footage of the cement leaking from the tunnel entrances in Lebanon.

Conquering the Galilee

In 2013, Hezbollah publicized its attack plan against Israel, named “Conquer the Galilee.” This plan was meant to include several components, including a massive rocket barrage against Israeli forces and civilians in the north, as well as naval infiltration by Hezbollah’s “Radwan” special forces unit.

Under the cover of fire, Hezbollah operatives were supposed to launch a surprise subterranean infiltration using these tunnels. This would allow Hezbollah access to Israeli towns and villages, putting many civilians in danger of being kidnapped and killed. One tunnel neutralized on December 27 was dug from the village of Kafr Kela, and would have been used to invade the Israeli town of Metula.

Neutralizing the Tunnels

Operation Northern Shield was launched to ensure that that Hezbollah’s plan to conquer the Galilee cannot succeed. The IDF has detected tunnels at various points along the Blue Line, crossing into Israeli territory. These tunnels are then neutralized or destroyed, either by pumping them with a mixture of materials, including water and concrete, or by detonating them with explosives.

Hezbollah has dug these tunnels beneath civilian homes and infrastructure. In this video, cement leaks out of a tunnel entrance in southern Lebanon, having been pumped through from the Israeli side.

Endangering Lebanese Civilians

This method of neutralizing tunnels – filling them with concrete – has revealed that several Hezbollah attack tunnels were located beneath the private homes of Lebanese civilians. This once again demonstrates Hezbollah’s disregard for the lives of the people of southern Lebanon, and their use of human shields and civilian infrastructure for terror purposes.

The IDF has updated UNIFIL on our activities and findings, and will continue to do so as this operation progresses. As the sovereign power in Lebanon, we hold the Lebanese government responsible for what happens within its borders, including Hezbollah’s terror activities.

The IDF is about four weeks into Operation Northern Shield, which will continue for several more weeks. It will end once all Hezbollah tunnels are found and destroyed, and the threat they present to Israeli civilians is neutralized.