Israel strikes Lebanon's Qaraoun dam, highlighting Hezbollah's underground tunnel network

On 26 May, Israeli air strikes hit the Qaraoun dam in southern Lebanon, damaging access roads and dropping debris into the reservoir. The dam, built in 1959, supplies four hydro‑electric plants and irrigates roughly 30 % of Lebanon’s farmland, making it a vital component of the country’s water and energy security. "This is a national threat," said Sami Alawieh, director‑general of the National Litani Authority, adding that any damage to the dam endangers public safety and the Lebanese economy.

At the same time, Israeli intelligence revealed an extensive underground complex built by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, described as a “Pentagon‑like” network of tunnels, drone factories and command centres. Sites such as Majdal Zoun and the Ali al‑Taher ridge host deep tunnels equipped for drone assembly, missile storage and firing pits, constructed with Iranian and North‑Korean assistance. Israel has responded with ground operations under the “Sof Pasuk” campaign to destroy these installations, noting that aerial strikes alone have failed to neutralise them. "The underground system is a second line of defence north of the Litani River," an Israeli report stated, underscoring the strategic depth Hezbollah has achieved through years of clandestine construction.