Hezbollah’s Underground Fortress: How Extensive Tunnels Shield Militants from Israeli Strikes

Despite significant damage from recent Israeli airstrikes, the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah managed to preserve its core military capabilities through an extensive tunnel network.

Reuters reported that after fighting a war with Israel in 2006, Hezbollah has built a sprawling tunnel system stretching hundreds of kilometers, with assistance from Iran and North Korea. Some of these tunnels are large enough to transport heavy equipment, providing a stronghold against Israeli airstrikes.

Despite several damage from recent Israel bombings, Hezbollah claims its tunnels have allowed it to to protect its leading forces. Last month, the group released footage showing trucks carrying rocket launchers and armed personnel traveling inside the tunnels.

The Israeli military has recently targeted Hezbollah military facilities in Lebanon, destroying a significant amount of rockets, missiles, and drones. However, most of Hezbollah’s advanced weaponry is reportedly stored deep within the tunnels.

Israel has used large aerial bombs to destroy tunnels in Gaza, often in response to attacks from Hamas, but experts believe Hezbollah’s tunnels are far more challenging to eliminate. Andreas Krieg, senior lecturer at the School of Security Studies at King’s College London, explains that while Hamas’s tunnels are built on soft ground, Hezbollah’s tunnels are built deep into the mountains, making them far more difficult to access and destroy.

Krieg also highlights Hezbollah’s flexible command structure, which complicates Israel’s efforts to weaken the group. The structure allows for quick replacements of high-ranking officials. An anonymous high-level security official noted that Hezbollah’s continued rocket attacks on northern Israel, despite the recent airstrikes, indicate that its command structure remains intact. According to Krieg, Hezbollah represents the most formidable adversary, not due to its size or technology, but because of its resilience.