WATCH: IDF obliterates underground Hezbollah command center in southern Lebanon

JERUSALEM – Amid the somewhat uneasy truce between Israel and Hezbollah – and putting to one side the unfolding mayhem in Syria – the IDF is still active in southern Lebanon in its attempts to further degrade the fighting strength and spirit of the Iranian proxy.

To that end, Israeli combat engineers from the elite Yahalom, or “Diamond,” unit, who performed a sweep of the area, located an underground Hezbollah command center, as well as an access tunnel, and confiscated a significant weapons cache.

The IDF dismantled a Hezbollah underground command center and multiple nearby weapons depots in southern Lebanon.

IDF troops found a weapons depot embedded inside a mosque, further demonstrating Hezbollah’s cynical exploitation of civilian infrastructure. pic.twitter.com/LcEiYOFCMD

— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) December 18, 2024

The IDF said engineering forces from the 188th Brigade discovered and destroyed an elaborate underground Hezbollah command facility in southern Lebanon, which had been used to direct attacks against Israeli communities in the Galilee region since the terrorist group started firing projectiles on Oct. 8, 2023.

In addition to the command center, the Israeli military revealed it had located several weapons depots near the tunnel entrance, including one inside a mosque, where hundreds of explosive devices, guns, grenades, and other equipment were stored. The facility itself contained surveillance equipment, weapons systems, and military hardware used by Hezbollah to coordinate terrorist operations.

Meanwhile in Israel’s south, the war of annihilation that Hamas began on Oct. 7, 2023, looks as though it might be winding down, amid a flurry of events, which have left Gaza’s Islamist rulers increasingly isolated.

Reports emerged Wednesday of Hamas being at least more receptive to the idea of their most celebrated terrorists being sent into exile, rather than being released back to Gaza, and in exchange for some of Israel’s hostages. There are still many details to iron out, but the significant uptick in negotiations has been catalysed by a renewed push by the United States, which includes CIA Director William Burns flying to Qatar, to attempt to finalize a deal.

The most likely destinations for those exiled are thought to be Turkey, to which it has been floated that Marwan Barghouti will be sent, and also Iran. Qatar, which is also taking part in the ceasefire/hostage release negotiations, despite being a financial backer of the Muslim Brotherhood, of which Hamas is an offshoot, might once have been a possible destination for exiled Hamas convicted murderers. However, shortly after the election of President-elect Donald Trump, Doha removed the offer of hospitality it had formerly granted to Hamas leaders, effectively expelling them from the country.

The news of a possible partial deal has not been received with universal support in Israel. The Tikva Forum, a hostage families group – distinct from the much larger main organization – said it was against a partial release.

Its main contention is that giving in to terrorists’ demands only makes Israel’s long-term security more precarious and will likely encourage further hostage-taking in the future. Many in the group are deeply concerned about their loved ones never being released if they acquiesce to a partial hostage release.

This is not just another deal. This is a surrender to repeated cycles of proposals that will keep the hostages imprisoned for eternity.

This line must not be crossed.
Apply military pressure – not political pressure>>

— Tikva Forum (@tikvaforumENG) December 16, 2024