The Battle for the Symbol

The Battle for the Symbol

The Ali Taher ridge is situated north of Beaufort Fortress, overlooking westward toward the village of Kfar Tebnit and the major Shiite city in the eastern sector of southern Lebanon, Nabatieh. To the east, the ridge overlooks the Galilee Panhandle and, of course, Metula. During the IDF's presence in Lebanon until the year 2000, this ridge was the site of the famous "Dalaat" outpost. Hezbollah repeatedly attacked the outpost in attempt to capture it, and daily shelling was the routine of the outpost’s soldiers. Due to its commanding position over a strategic terrain area, the ridge and its outpost became a symbol in the struggle against the IDF.

Today, just as back then, the IDF is positioned on the ridge, commanding the Nabatieh area from it. However, since the IDF's withdrawal in 2000, the ridge has been extensively excavated by Hezbollah and contains a large and significant strategic Hezbollah tunnel a very tall and wide tunnel capable of accommodating vehicular entry. This tunnel likely belonged to the same tunnel network dug around and beneath the Beaufort Fortress, which lies just a few kilometers south of the Ali Taher ridge.

The IDF controls the entrance to the tunnel, within which dozens of Hezbollah operatives and possibly representatives of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) are besieged. The tunnel's significance lies primarily in its location less than 10 km from the Israeli border and the fact that it apparently serves as a massive weapons cache intended for Hezbollah's use in attacking Israel.

The Iranians, whether seeking to help their proxy resolve the situation without handing Israel an image of victory or out of concern for their own personnel who might also be inside the tunnel, have repeatedly threatened that an attack on the tunnel would provoke an Iranian retaliation against Israel. This, of course, only deepens our understanding that the site holds exceptional importance, whether for the reasons outlined or others.

Undoubtedly, this vantage point overlooking Nabatieh remains a symbol just as it was 26 years ago. For the Iranians and Hezbollah, the surrender of the militants emerging with a white flag or the collapse of the tunnel upon its occupants are both bad options; either outcome delivers an image of victory to the IDF, significantly harms the standing of Hezbollah and its Iranian master, and weakens them on the Lebanese street and vis-à-vis the Lebanese government.

On the other hand, the IDF has maintained a siege on the tunnel for over two months. We, too, seek a victory image and while it may ultimately be a symbol, as is often the case when an achievement is not yet decisive, the tactical becomes strategic. An image of victory is deeply significant for the military, for the residents of the north, and for the entire nation of Israel, not least in winning the Cognitive Warfare Campaign.

The IDF's continued presence on the Ali Taher ridge and the postponement of a decisive outcome meaning capturing or collapsing the tunnel incurs unnecessary casualties. It is clear that Aerial action alone will not bring about the destruction and collapse of the tunnel upon its occupants. Therefore, in the immediate timeframe with or without American approval it is critical to execute a combined air-and-ground maneuver to achieve decisiveness. Again, precisely because the tactical has turned strategic, an IDF victory on the Ali Taher ridge would generate a major image of victory for us, breathe wind into the sails of the Lebanese Armed Forces and the Lebanese government, and make it easier for them to pursue disarmament and restore Lebanese state sovereignty against Hezbollah.

Written by: Gidi Harari

www.gidiharari.com