After the Second Lebanon War in 2006, the Lebanese terror organization Hezbollah was deterred from military confrontation with Israel for an extended period. In the following years, the organization focused primarily on building its strength, developing capabilities, increasing its exclusive influence over Lebanese politics, and intervening in the Syrian Civil War to help preserve Assad’s regime.
Under UN Security Council Resolution 1701, Hezbollah was prohibited from operating south of the Litani River. However, in practice, the group gradually violated this commitment and began digging cross-border tunnels into Israeli territory. This strategy bore similarities to that of Hamas in Gaza during those years, though it is worth noting that the soil in the north is far harder to dig than in the south, requiring immense efforts.
By 2018, Hezbollah had dug six offensive tunnels crossing into Israeli territory. However, these activities did not escape the watchful eye of Israeli intelligence, which had developed advanced tunneling detection capabilities during this time.
In November 2018, amid fears of escalation in Gaza, the Israeli government decided to act in the north to preempt the possibility of a surprise attack in this region. In December, the IDF launched an operation to expose the tunnels under the leadership of Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot. Within a month, all six tunnels were discovered and rendered inoperable, although not completely destroyed.
This significantly reduced the risk of another war in the north and demonstrated Israel’s preparedness against the organization.
