Concern in Lebanon: Israel prepares to capture the strategic ridge and awaits a green light from Washington
A senior security official in Beirut said that the US informed Lebanese authorities that they cannot prevent an IDF operation on the Ali al-Tahir ridge, where Hezbollah terrorists are besieged. However, the official claims that the Americans demanded a precise surgical move with minimal civilian casualties.
The Lebanese newspaper Al-Joumhouria reported this morning, Friday, citing a senior security official, that messages have reached relevant parties in Beirut that Israel is preparing to launch an offensive to capture the strategic Ali al-Tahir ridge. The report further stated that Israel is ready for the move and is awaiting a green light from the United States.
The security official claimed that the American side informed the Lebanese authorities that it cannot completely prevent the Israeli operation, but requested that it be a precise surgical move with minimal civilian casualties, and in a way that does not harm the framework agreement between Jerusalem and Beirut. "The Israelis need this achievement and will not back down from it," said the Lebanese security source.
According to him, all eyes are on Hezbollah's reaction — whether it will enter the fight. "This battle has become a matter of time, and it is a race against the upcoming American-Iranian agreement, which will undoubtedly affect the front in southern Lebanon," said the senior security official.
Various Lebanese channels have been publishing speculations in recent days attempting to predict what Israel's next move in southern Lebanon will be, with an emphasis on the Ali al-Tahir ridge. According to the latest reports, Hezbollah terrorists are besieged there in an underground facility, while the IDF tightens the siege on them and cuts off water supply lines to the infrastructure. The Shiite organization's terrorists are trying to break the siege with the help of drones to transfer equipment and supplies.
The reports come against the backdrop of uncertainty regarding the continuation of the conflict or the agreement between Iran and the United States, which is expected to also impact southern Lebanon, and against the backdrop of the ongoing negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, which are supposed to resume at the beginning of September, but whose fate is still unknown. Knowledgeable sources told the Lebanese Al-Jadeed channel yesterday that Beirut is hardening its demands regarding the ceasefire and the expansion of pilot zones before proceeding to another round of negotiations with Israel.
According to a publication this morning by the Al-Akhbar newspaper, which is identified with Hezbollah, citing a knowledgeable source, American military officials spoke with officials in Beirut about the difficulty of achieving significant progress in the negotiations, and stated that they do not believe Israel is expected to carry out a significant military withdrawal in the period before the elections. According to the source, the American side did not deny the rumors that were circulated about the possibility that the IDF would carry out rapid military operations in southern Lebanon, aimed at reaching "sensitive Hezbollah positions," referring to the mountainous area of the Ali al-Tahir hills. Also last night, a diplomatic source was quoted on the Lebanese MTV network, claiming that the official level in Beirut was updated that the political leadership in Israel authorized the army to blow up Ali al-Tahir.
A political source told the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat yesterday that Israel is linking the ceasefire in Lebanon to Hezbollah's withdrawal from the Ali al-Tahir area and handing it over to the Lebanese army. The source noted that the evacuation of the area is a "mandatory step for completing the implementation of the framework agreement." It should be noted that in recent days, reports from Lebanon indicate continued IDF activity in various villages in the south of the country, claiming destruction of villages, controlled explosions, and intermittent airstrikes, alongside artillery attacks.
