Ali al-Taher at the Forefront of the Scene and a Lebanese Move to Contain Escalation in the South

Political sources told Al-Nahar that the official Lebanon is currently in an exceptional state of alert amid mounting Israeli military pressure in the south. The meetings being held by President Aoun during this phase, both regionally and internationally—including Italy and the Vatican—are emergency attempts to secure an international umbrella over the south, ahead of the upcoming expiration of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mandate, set for the end of this year. Speaker of the Parliament Nabih Berri had previously warned that the absence of these forces would dismantle the protective framework ensuring implementation of Resolution 1701, leaving the south exposed to any new security arrangements. There may be a need for a Security Council resolution to establish a replacement force backed by broad Lebanese consensus, given the complexities of the international landscape.

According to these sources, what exacerbates the risks and drives the activation of alert measures is the current ground situation, as Israel moves toward further escalation through shelling and airstrikes, while explosive operations continue unabated in areas including Saida, Marjayoun, Nabatiyeh, and Bint Jbeil, destroying what remains of civilian infrastructure. Meanwhile, the hill of Ali al-Taher remains the central stage for the next confrontation.

As per the same sources, any Israeli move targeting this hill would be tied to internal calculations by Benjamin Netanyahu, who might seek to exploit any large-scale military operation there at a time that serves his electoral agenda.