Inside Hezbollah’s Secret Tunnels: A Hidden Threat to Israel

[Social Media]

 

As I entered the Hezbollah tunnel, which extended from an opening in Israel’s Galilee region, the air was thick with dust. The passage, uncovered by Israeli forces in 2019, spanned half a mile and was dug by Hezbollah fighters using handheld drills. Descending the narrow stairwell, past walls faintly lit by electric cables, it was astonishing to think such a massive structure was created manually, rather than by industrial equipment. Evidence of the labor was everywhere, with circular marks along the walls left by the drills. It must have taken countless hours for Hezbollah’s men to construct this hidden tunnel.

This video was released yesterday by Hezbollah, the Iranian-Backed Lebanese Terror Organization.

Hezbollah's extensive tunnel network poses a grave danger not only to Israel but also to the people of Lebanon.

By embedding its military infrastructure in civilian areas (schools,… pic.twitter.com/qWMLKAiGHv

— David Saranga (@DavidSaranga) August 17, 2024

 

After several minutes of walking, we reached the tunnel’s end, blocked by rubble where Israeli forces had sealed the pathway into Lebanon. It was May 2020, and though the possibility of a full-scale Israeli invasion into Lebanon was uncertain, the tunnel provided insight into the daunting terrain Israeli troops might face in the future. This tunnel was just one piece of Hezbollah’s extensive network, which is estimated to stretch for hundreds of kilometers beneath Lebanon, posing a significant challenge to Israeli forces.

 

The sophistication and secrecy of the tunnel were remarkable. As Colonel Roi Yosef Levy of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) told me during the tour, “[It took] 14 years to build, and only a few people inside Hezbollah knew about it.” Israel believes that, had the tunnel not been discovered, Hezbollah might have used it for a surprise attack, possibly to capture hostages and transport them back into Lebanon.

 

Since its discovery, experts believe Hezbollah has expanded the tunnel network, making it even more formidable. This system, which can hide troops, transport supplies, or launch attacks, includes underground missile facilities and command centers like "Imad 4," named after Hezbollah’s late military chief, Imad Mughniyeh. The network is said to be inspired by similar tunnels in Iran and North Korea, and some are concealed beneath villages in southern Lebanon, complicating any Israeli military operation. As Ronen Solomon, an Israeli intelligence analyst, explained, attacking the tunnels could trigger a broader war. “If Israel is to attack the tunnels, Israel needs to attack buildings, and doing that, especially in Beirut, will be the start of a war,” he said.

 

There are different types of tunnels in Hezbollah’s arsenal: offensive tunnels along the border, logistical tunnels for moving supplies, and those for storing missiles and air defense systems. They even have tunnels beneath civilian infrastructure, such as football fields and homes, making them harder to target. Hezbollah’s tunnels are only one element of their vast weaponry. Their missile stockpile is believed to be far more advanced than what Hamas has in Gaza, with thousands of missiles capable of reaching deep into Israel, including Iranian-made Fateh-110 and Syrian-made M-600 short-range ballistic missiles. 

 

In 2006, Hezbollah shocked Israel when they managed to reverse-engineer Israel’s Spike anti-tank missile, with Iran creating their own version called the Almas missile. This missile, like the original, can be launched from various platforms and poses a serious threat to Israeli forces stationed near the border. Hezbollah has also fired smaller rockets, such as Falaq-1, Falaq-2, and Katyusha artillery rockets, since early October 2023. In 2006, they used the Iranian Fajr-5, but their current arsenal is even more formidable.

 

Despite international efforts after the 2006 war to disarm Hezbollah, the group has only strengthened its military capabilities with the help of Iran and other regional allies. Israeli military experts now view Hezbollah as a far more dangerous adversary than ever before, with trained ground forces numbering around 100,000, including 20,000 full-time combatants. Hezbollah’s tunnel network and missile stockpiles have become an integral part of its strategy, making any future conflict with Israel a complex and deadly proposition. According to former Israeli national security adviser Yaakov Amidror, Israel’s biggest mistake was not addressing the growing threat from Hezbollah sooner. “Before 2006, Israel was addicted to the quietness and was not ready to make any efforts to prevent Hezbollah from building its military capabilities,” he reflected.

 

As tensions rise, the tunnel I visited in 2020 is a reminder of the vast and hidden dangers Israel may face. Colonel Levy, who would later lose his life in the October 7 Hamas attack, summed up the situation grimly: “You need to hate Israel very much to build these things.”

 

 

Based on a report from: Daily Telegraph 2024-09-28

 

 

 

[Tug]

I’m sure Israel will figure out how to locate and exterminate any one foolish enough to try to use them.science and the pressing need will find a way to deal with it.

[thaipo7]

1 hour ago, Tug said:

I’m sure Israel will figure out how to locate and exterminate any one foolish enough to try to use them.science and the pressing need will find a way to deal with it.

Whose side are you on?  Anti-Semitic Marxist Democrats or Israel.  You can't be both.  You sound like Harris now.

[wombat]

My question for those that know about these things is...

Where did all the dirt go that was dug from making these tunnels?

[Denim]

Just now, wombat said:

My question for those that know about these things is...

Where did all the dirt go that was dug from making these tunnels?

 

Smuggled out in trouser legs then released on waste ground by pulling a string which undoes the knot.

[Tug]

1 hour ago, thaipo7 said:

Whose side are you on?  Anti-Semitic Marxist Democrats or Israel.  You can't be both.  You sound like Harris now.

Huh?what are you on about now?

[Tug]

21 minutes ago, Denim said:

 

Smuggled out in trouser legs then released on waste ground by pulling a string which undoes the knot.

Naa dumped on construction sites most likely must be easy soil to tunnel through…

[Homburg]

Hey Hamas and Hezbollah, instead of digging umpteen tunnels perhaps put your (clearly excellent) mining skills to better use in a Lithium mine? My EV needs a new battery...

[koolkarl]

Drop a dozen bunker busters and their 14 years of digging with their fingernails is over in 10 minutes.  I believe many people knew about these tunnels and as usual are all complicit in one form or another.

[newbee2022]

4 hours ago, Social Media said:

 

As I entered the Hezbollah tunnel, which extended from an opening in Israel’s Galilee region, the air was thick with dust. The passage, uncovered by Israeli forces in 2019, spanned half a mile and was dug by Hezbollah fighters using handheld drills. Descending the narrow stairwell, past walls faintly lit by electric cables, it was astonishing to think such a massive structure was created manually, rather than by industrial equipment. Evidence of the labor was everywhere, with circular marks along the walls left by the drills. It must have taken countless hours for Hezbollah’s men to construct this hidden tunnel.

 

After several minutes of walking, we reached the tunnel’s end, blocked by rubble where Israeli forces had sealed the pathway into Lebanon. It was May 2020, and though the possibility of a full-scale Israeli invasion into Lebanon was uncertain, the tunnel provided insight into the daunting terrain Israeli troops might face in the future. This tunnel was just one piece of Hezbollah’s extensive network, which is estimated to stretch for hundreds of kilometers beneath Lebanon, posing a significant challenge to Israeli forces.

 

The sophistication and secrecy of the tunnel were remarkable. As Colonel Roi Yosef Levy of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) told me during the tour, “[It took] 14 years to build, and only a few people inside Hezbollah knew about it.” Israel believes that, had the tunnel not been discovered, Hezbollah might have used it for a surprise attack, possibly to capture hostages and transport them back into Lebanon.

 

Since its discovery, experts believe Hezbollah has expanded the tunnel network, making it even more formidable. This system, which can hide troops, transport supplies, or launch attacks, includes underground missile facilities and command centers like "Imad 4," named after Hezbollah’s late military chief, Imad Mughniyeh. The network is said to be inspired by similar tunnels in Iran and North Korea, and some are concealed beneath villages in southern Lebanon, complicating any Israeli military operation. As Ronen Solomon, an Israeli intelligence analyst, explained, attacking the tunnels could trigger a broader war. “If Israel is to attack the tunnels, Israel needs to attack buildings, and doing that, especially in Beirut, will be the start of a war,” he said.

 

 

There are different types of tunnels in Hezbollah’s arsenal: offensive tunnels along the border, logistical tunnels for moving supplies, and those for storing missiles and air defense systems. They even have tunnels beneath civilian infrastructure, such as football fields and homes, making them harder to target. Hezbollah’s tunnels are only one element of their vast weaponry. Their missile stockpile is believed to be far more advanced than what Hamas has in Gaza, with thousands of missiles capable of reaching deep into Israel, including Iranian-made Fateh-110 and Syrian-made M-600 short-range ballistic missiles. 

 

In 2006, Hezbollah shocked Israel when they managed to reverse-engineer Israel’s Spike anti-tank missile, with Iran creating their own version called the Almas missile. This missile, like the original, can be launched from various platforms and poses a serious threat to Israeli forces stationed near the border. Hezbollah has also fired smaller rockets, such as Falaq-1, Falaq-2, and Katyusha artillery rockets, since early October 2023. In 2006, they used the Iranian Fajr-5, but their current arsenal is even more formidable.

 

Despite international efforts after the 2006 war to disarm Hezbollah, the group has only strengthened its military capabilities with the help of Iran and other regional allies. Israeli military experts now view Hezbollah as a far more dangerous adversary than ever before, with trained ground forces numbering around 100,000, including 20,000 full-time combatants. Hezbollah’s tunnel network and missile stockpiles have become an integral part of its strategy, making any future conflict with Israel a complex and deadly proposition. According to former Israeli national security adviser Yaakov Amidror, Israel’s biggest mistake was not addressing the growing threat from Hezbollah sooner. “Before 2006, Israel was addicted to the quietness and was not ready to make any efforts to prevent Hezbollah from building its military capabilities,” he reflected.

 

As tensions rise, the tunnel I visited in 2020 is a reminder of the vast and hidden dangers Israel may face. Colonel Levy, who would later lose his life in the October 7 Hamas attack, summed up the situation grimly: “You need to hate Israel very much to build these things.”

 

 

Based on a report from: Daily Telegraph 2024-09-28

 

 

 

A tunnel itself isn't any threat to nobody.

 

[john donson]

if they know where they are, not difficult to c4 them all, right?  or what was the other thing, a spongebob bomb ?

[kidneyw]

1 hour ago, wombat said:

My question for those that know about these things is...

Where did all the dirt go that was dug from making these tunnels?

You need to watch "The Great Escape" movie.

[thaibeachlovers]

4 hours ago, john donson said:

if they know where they are, not difficult to c4 them all, right?  or what was the other thing, a spongebob bomb ?

Try reading it again, more carefully.

[thaibeachlovers]

It's not looking good for netanyahu. If he sends the IDF into Lebanon, it won't be a pushover like the last time, and likely substantial numbers of israelis will return in a bag, but if he doesn't, how can he justify keeping large numbers of reservists on the border?

Seems that his day in court is getting closer.

[thaibeachlovers]

8 hours ago, Social Media said:

Colonel Levy, who would later lose his life in the October 7 Hamas attack, summed up the situation grimly: “You need to hate Israel very much to build these things.”

Indeed there are many that hate the israelis very much and with every family blown up even more are created.

[Nick Carter icp]

1 minute ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Indeed there are many that hate the israelis very much and with every family blown up even more are created.

 

   Many Lebanese will be pleased to see the back of Hezbollah , Hezbollah don't have widespread support in Lebanon and many Lebanese will support  Israel 

[Bkk Brian]

17 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

It's not looking good for netanyahu. If he sends the IDF into Lebanon, it won't be a pushover like the last time, and likely substantial numbers of israelis will return in a bag, but if he doesn't, how can he justify keeping large numbers of reservists on the border?

Seems that his day in court is getting closer.

Its looking far worse for the terrorist's Hezbollah

 

[Social Media]

A couple of off topic and unsubstantiated posts removed, the title of the thread is:

 

Inside Hezbollah’s Secret Tunnels: A Hidden Threat to Israel

[thaibeachlovers]

5 hours ago, koolkarl said:

Drop a dozen bunker busters and their 14 years of digging with their fingernails is over in 10 minutes.  I believe many people knew about these tunnels and as usual are all complicit in one form or another.

Did you read the OP, or did you just miss

 

9 hours ago, Social Media said:

This tunnel was just one piece of Hezbollah’s extensive network, which is estimated to stretch for hundreds of kilometers beneath Lebanon, posing a significant challenge to Israeli forces.

While bunker buster bombs may be great for knocking down buildings and any tunnels directly below them, It would take more than the israelis have to destroy hundreds of kilometers of them.

 

 

[Patong2021]

6 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

A tunnel itself isn't any threat to nobody.

 

ok. However, Hezbollah uses these tunnels to move its militray equipment and personnel about. They are legitimate military targets.

[wombat]

On 9/28/2024 at 8:16 AM, kidneyw said:

You need to watch "The Great Escape" movie.

i was trying to avoid that movie as the thought of so many dressed in burkas dribbling dirt as they shuffled still leaves big piles of spoil somewhere

[wombat]

On 9/28/2024 at 6:33 AM, Denim said:

 

Smuggled out in trouser legs then released on waste ground by pulling a string which undoes the knot.