Completion of Israeli Operations Against Hezbollah Tunnels

On Sunday, January 13, the Israeli army announced the discovery of the sixth "offensive tunnel" of Hezbollah, indicating that the "Northern Shield" operation is nearing its final phase. According to Colonel Ronen Manlis, spokesperson for the Israeli army, the operation to uncover and destroy tunnels dug along the southern border of Lebanon with northern Israel will be "completed" in the coming days after the sixth tunnel is detonated. The sixth tunnel was discovered on Saturday, January 12, starting from the Lebanese village of Ramieh and extending 55 meters to near the Israeli village of Zar'it. Colonel Manlis stated that although this tunnel had a "central" significance for Hezbollah, it had not yet reached an operational stage and posed no danger to Israeli residents in the border area. According to the statement, Israel has planted explosives in the tunnel to destroy it in the coming days. Israel also informed UNIFIL, the United Nations peacekeeping forces stationed in Lebanon, about the discovery of the sixth tunnel, similar to previous tunnels. General Stefano Del Col, the Italian commander of UNIFIL, has recently visited the area for the second time in recent weeks. The Israeli army spokesperson emphasized that despite the nearing conclusion of the "Northern Shield" operation, "vigilant monitoring" of the area will continue. The "Northern Shield" operation began on December 4, involving thousands of Israeli engineering forces, alongside intelligence and security mobilization, and the simultaneous deployment of thousands of other Israeli soldiers in border areas to counter potential threats during this operation. Israel stated that it had been aware of the tunnels for months but needed to make necessary preparations for the discovery and destruction operation. In preparation for this, several drills had been conducted in previous months. Hezbollah did not respond during the "Northern Shield" operation, but the Prime Minister of Lebanon emphasized that there is no reason for this Israeli action to lead to a crisis against Lebanon. Last month, the United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting at Israel's request, supported by the United States, to discuss the tunnels without issuing a concluding statement or resolution. UN peacekeepers and senior officials of the organization have confirmed that the existence of the tunnels violates Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006. UNIFIL has also warned that some of Israel's actions in these areas violate Resolution 1701. Meanwhile, David Hale, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, who traveled to Beirut on Saturday, January 12, stated that he is discussing a range of issues related to Hezbollah with Lebanese officials. The U.S. Embassy in Lebanon, coinciding with Mr. Hale's arrival in Beirut, emphasized in a statement that Hezbollah's tunnels "undermine the legitimacy of Lebanon's legal institutions." Meanwhile, the "Northern Shield" operation in Israel, despite the unified support of the opposition for its execution, has faced sharp criticism from some senior opposition politicians against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. These politicians accused Netanyahu of exploiting this engineering operation to strengthen his position as the "only true defender of Israel's security" and exaggerating in the management of this issue. Ehud Barak, a former Prime Minister and Defense Minister, stated that Netanyahu is using the army's bulldozers as a stepping stone for his own advancement.