Israel Weighs Handing Hezbollah Tunnels to Lebanese Army as Test

Israel is reportedly exploring a novel approach to managing the conflict along its northern border by considering the transfer of Hezbollah tunnels to the Lebanese Army. Channel 12 reports that Israeli security officials have proposed handing over a complex of tunnels located beneath the southern Lebanese village of Tebnit as a means to gauge the Lebanese Army's effectiveness against Hezbollah.

This initiative, slated for further discussion in upcoming talks, is viewed as a potential test of the Lebanese Army's "ability and motivation to deal publicly and in an unprecedented way with Hezbollah," according to an Israeli source. The village of Tebnit has been a focal point of the ongoing conflict, with Israel controlling the surface while an estimated 30 to 40 Hezbollah fighters reportedly occupy the tunnels below, using them for ambushes and attacks against Israeli troops.

The proposal stems from the current ceasefire agreement, which Israel claims prohibits direct engagement with Hezbollah within the tunnels. Consequently, Israel is contemplating ceding control of the entire area to the Lebanese Army. A similar, additional tunnel network was discovered under the village of Majdal Zoun. The handover of this second site appears contingent on the Lebanese Army's success in securing the Tebnit tunnels.

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This could be a test for the ability and motivation of the Lebanese army to deal publicly and in an unprecedented way with Hezbollah.