Israel is awaiting US approval for a military operation aimed at taking control of the Ali Taher Ridge in southern Lebanon, Lebanese newspaper Al Joumhouria reported Friday morning, citing a senior security official.
According to the report, messages received by officials in Beirut indicate that the IDF is at a high level of readiness for an operation in the strategic ridge, which overlooks large parts of the Nabatieh region.
The senior security official claimed that Washington had made clear to the Lebanese leadership that it would not be able to completely prevent Israel from taking action. However, according to the same source, US officials asked that any operation be as limited and precise as possible, while minimizing destruction and civilian casualties in order to avoid the collapse of the framework of understandings between Israel and Lebanon.
The source also assessed that Israel views taking control of the ridge as a significant military objective it does not intend to abandon, and that the main question for Beirut is how Hezbollah would respond.
Lebanese newspaper Nidaa al Watan also published extensive reports on the Ali Taher Ridge on Friday morning. According to military sources quoted by the newspaper, Israel is pursuing a policy of gradual advances in the area, and is using robotic systems to establish positions while reducing the risk to soldiers.
Ali Taher Ridge not the most important for Hezbollah, Lebanese military holds
The newspaper cited an Israeli report saying that IDF forces already control large parts of the ridge, but have been ordered to halt their tactical advance for the time being due to political sensitivities and ongoing negotiations between Jerusalem and Beirut.
The ridge, located north of the Litani River, rises to an elevation of about 600 meters and overlooks Nabatieh and the surrounding area. According to Nidaa al Watan, Lebanese security officials assess that the area’s strategic importance extends beyond its elevated position.
The report claimed that a network of tunnels and facilities used by Hezbollah for years lies beneath the ridge, and that Israeli activity is now focused on locating entrances, underground infrastructure, and command rooms.
However, Lebanese military sources quoted by the newspaper claimed that Israel’s characterization of the Ali Taher Ridge as Hezbollah’s most important command center is exaggerated, and that the terrorist organization maintains more infrastructure elsewhere in southern Lebanon.
The same sources also claimed that the compound remains connected to supply routes and that dozens of Hezbollah operatives are staying there. These reports have not been independently confirmed.
Amid concerns over a possible escalation, US Gen. Joseph Clearfield is working to advance another round of talks between Israel and Lebanon in Rome in early September. Al Joumhouria reported that the US administration is seeking to advance two measures at the same time: a gradual Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and the disarmament of Hezbollah.
The newspaper also reported that Washington objected to remarks by Defense Minister Israel Katz, who said Israel could remain in southern Lebanon for an extended period.
US opposed to permanent Israeli presence in the area
A US State Department official said that a permanent Israeli military presence would not be consistent with the framework of the understandings, and that the United States supports Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Lebanese newspaper An Nahar also reported Friday morning on tensions surrounding the negotiations. According to the newspaper, Israel is demanding that the Lebanese Armed Forces enter the Ali Taher compound and verify that Hezbollah’s infrastructure there has been dismantled.
Officials in Beirut, however, warned that such a move could put the Lebanese army in direct confrontation with Hezbollah. The newspaper added that Israel had rejected Lebanese proposals to expand the pilot areas from which Israeli forces would withdraw.
According to reports from Lebanon, Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon continued, including artillery fire toward the Ali Taher area.
Against this backdrop, the ridge has emerged as a key test of US efforts to preserve the diplomatic track, while Israel weighs whether to pursue a military outcome on the ground.
Al Akhbar, a Lebanese newspaper affiliated with Hezbollah, also assessed Friday morning that the possibility of renewed large-scale fighting is linked in part to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political considerations ahead of Israel’s elections.
