Israel claims Ali Taher control as Lebanon ceasefire faces new strain

Israel says it has taken operational control of Ali Taher hill in southern Lebanon after weeks of clashes with Hezbollah. The claim has sharpened fears of a wider escalation as mediation efforts and disarmament talks remain stuck.More than two months after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect, fighting has stopped in much of Lebanon, but Ali Taher hill in the south remains a major flashpoint. In recent weeks, the area has seen daily Israeli shelling and airstrikes, while Hezbollah has repeatedly targeted Israeli forces there with drones.On Thursday night, Israel's military said it had taken "operational control" of Ali Taher and a network of tunnels beneath it that it said Hezbollah used to shelter fighters and store weapons. It remains unclear how far that control extends, and there has been no official statement from Hezbollah since the announcement. A wider battle over the hill near Nabatiyeh could escalate fighting across Lebanon and complicate efforts to resolve the war in Iran.The United States, which is mediating talks between Lebanon and Israel, had wanted Hezbollah to hand over the hill to the Lebanese army as part of a broader plan to disarm the group and dismantle its infrastructure. Hezbollah rejected the proposal. Lebanon and Israel reached a framework agreement in June under which Israel would withdraw from Lebanon as Hezbollah is disarmed, but the group was not part of the negotiations and has refused calls to disarm in areas north of the Litani river, where Ali Taher is located.Hezbollah fears that if it hands Ali Taher to the Lebanese army, Israel could seize the hill and then press for more territory. Israel had occupied the hill for 18 years before withdrawing from Lebanon in 2000. The site overlooks several villages and key roads leading to Nabatiyeh, and losing full control of it would disrupt Hezbollah's presence and supply lines in the area. Israel said the hill housed underground command centres, weapons storage rooms, generators, living quarters, showers and a kitchen, and that it was working to "neutralise underground infrastructure sites". Hezbollah legislator Ihab Hamadeh questioned why the Israeli military was still attacking the hill if it was really in control of the area. An Associated Press photographer who visited the nearby village of Kfar Rumman on Friday saw no sign of Israeli military presence on the hill. Israel has been carrying out military operations around Ali Taher since July, according to Nasser Khdour, a Middle East researcher at the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, or ACLED. Hezbollah official Mahmoud Qamati said in late August that the group's fighters were repelling attempts by Israeli troops to take the hill, though he played down its importance. "Ali Taher is important, but if it is lost it does not mean the end of Hezbollah," Qamati said.In mid-August, Israel launched a series of airstrikes on southern Lebanon in what it said was retaliation for a Hezbollah drone attack on Ali Taher that seriously wounded three soldiers. The strikes killed 11 people, including women and children, and were the deadliest since the US-brokered ceasefire took effect in late June. On August 27, Israel carried out more airstrikes, killing one person and injuring six, after saying Hezbollah fired two explosive drones at Israeli troops in the area. Hezbollah did not claim responsibility for any of the attacks. Lebanon's Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri said in late August that the Lebanese army was ready to take over Ali Taher and accused Israel of blocking that move for its own political reasons ahead of Israeli national elections on October 27. "The problem is not in the Lebanese army's readiness but in Israel's stance," he said. Lebanese and Israeli officials are due to meet in Rome later this month, while a Lebanese official told AP that indirect contacts between the US and Hezbollah are under way. US ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa said Washington was ready to speak with Hezbollah if it agreed to disarm, but the group is unlikely to move ahead without approval from Iran, its main backer.Control of Ali Taher could open the way to Nabatiyeh as well as the nearby Apple Province and Rihan Mountain, where Hezbollah has built up its presence since the late 1990s. Israeli leaders have repeatedly said troops will remain in Lebanon and have threatened greater military pressure until Hezbollah disarms. Khdour said Israeli control of the area would be "an operational and military setback for Hezbollah" and added, "This will strengthen Israel's position in any future negotiations over its withdrawal."With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Sep 5, 2026 13:24 IST