Israel Says Forces Seize Strategic Ridge in Southern Lebanon

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on Friday that Israeli forces have captured the strategic Ali Taher Ridge in southern Lebanon, marking a significant development in the ongoing conflict with Hezbollah.

Katz stated that the operation to secure the ridge was complex and systematic, with the mission completed and tunnels in the area cleared of terrorists. He added that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) will now work to neutralize the tunnels and prepare to hold the ridge, preventing the enemy from re-establishing a presence there.

The ridge, located near the southern Lebanese city of Nabatieh, held strategic importance. According to Katz, the tunnels at Ali Taher served as a command center for attacks on Israeli forces and the Galilee region. They also functioned as the last commanding post for the defense of the Nabatieh area, which is considered vital to Hezbollah.

In a separate development, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Thursday that Israel had agreed to release five Lebanese civilians detained in southern Lebanon. This followed Lebanon's assistance in searching for the bodies of Lebanese Jewish leaders who were reportedly abducted and murdered by terrorist organizations during Lebanon's civil war in the 1980s.

The prisoner release comes amid stalled talks between Lebanese and Israeli officials. In June, the two nations signed a U.S.-mediated framework deal under which Israeli forces were to withdraw from occupied areas in southern Lebanon in exchange for the disarmament of the Iran-backed Hezbollah. However, little progress has been made in implementation.

The latest conflict began when Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel days after Israel and the U.S. launched their war on Iran on February 28. Israel subsequently invaded Lebanon and has occupied a large portion of the country's south. Hezbollah has been vehemently opposed to direct Lebanon-Israel talks.