Shafaq News- Middle East

Israel will not withdraw from its self-declared security zone in southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed nationwide, Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday, claiming “complete Israeli control” of Ali Al-Taher Hill in Nabatiyeh district.

Quoted by Israeli media, Katz said forces advanced on the roughly 600-meter hill after intelligence indicated Hezbollah command-and-control tunnels there, calling it the last fortified position defending Nabatiyeh. Its elevation and commanding position overlooking Nabatiyeh, Iqlim Al-Tuffah and Jabal Al-Rayhan give the hill strategic importance, providing visibility over a wide area of southern Lebanon.

Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon on Sunday killed four people and wounded 20, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry, which also reported that the Ghandour Hospital in Nabatiyeh Al-Fawqa was destroyed during the attacks.

On Sept. 3, Reuters reported that Iran had warned the United States it would respond forcefully to a full Israeli operation against Ali Al-Taher. Citing officials familiar with the message, Reuters said more than a dozen Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) personnel, including at least two senior officers, were believed to be with Hezbollah fighters in the area.