Photo: Hezbollah tunnels that were uncovered and destroyed by Israeli forces in the Wadi Saluki area of south Lebanon ( source Al Nashra )
Israeli Defense Forces of the 769th Brigade uncovered underground tunnels belonging to Hezbollah while operating in the Saluki area of southern Lebanon, IDF said on Friday, according to a report by the Jerusalem Post
Engineering troops examined the subterranean infrastructure before demolishing it, JP added
Inside a mosque, IDF found a weapons storage facility, along with weapons loaded onto a vehicle and hundreds of mortar shells, rockets, and military equipment belonging to Hezbollah, 2 days before the end of the ceasefire.
Israeli forces decided to remain in southern Lebanon beyond the 60-day deadline stipulated in a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah because its terms have not been fully implemented, the Israeli prime minister’s office said on Friday.
Under the agreement, which took effect on Nov. 27, Hezbollah weapons and fighters must be removed from areas south of the Litani River and Israeli troops should withdraw as the Lebanese military deploys into the region, all within a 60-day timeframe, meaning by Sunday at 4 a.m. (0200 GMT).
The deal, brokered by the United States and France, ended more than a year of hostilities between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah. The fighting peaked with a major Israeli offensive that left Hezbollah severely weakened and displaced more than 1.2 million people in Lebanon.