Israel's prime minister's office said early on July 31 that, under orders from
PM Netanyahu and Defense Minister Katz, the IDF demolished underground tunnel
infrastructure on southern Lebanon's Beaufort Ridge using about 700 tons of
explosives. The office said the tunnels were a key element of Hezbollah's
planned attacks on northern Israeli communities and described the operation as a
response to Hezbollah's breach of a ceasefire. The IDF said its 36th Division
under Northern Command destroyed multiple core tunnel routes and that Israeli
forces remain deployed in Lebanon's southern security zone to continue clearing
military infrastructure and prevent Hezbollah from reconstituting capabilities.
