Israel said it destroyed Hezbollah tunnels beneath the Beaufort Castle area in southern Lebanon after accusing the Iran-backed group of violating the current ceasefire between the two sides with a drone attack.
In a joint statement issued early Friday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said Hezbollah had intended to use the underground tunnel network to infiltrate Israel.
The Israeli military used around 700 tons of explosives to destroy the tunnels, they said.
A resident of the southern Lebanese city of Nabatiyeh told dpa that several windows had been shattered by the blasts.
It was not immediately clear whether the historic Beaufort Castle itself had been damaged.
Netanyahu and Katz said the demolition was carried out in response to Hezbollah's "blatant" violation of the ceasefire. Any attempt by the group to harm Israeli soldiers or civilians would be met with a "harsh and powerful response," they said.
According to Israel, Hezbollah on Wednesday carried out its first explosive-laden drone attack in more than a month, targeting an Israeli military vehicle in southern Lebanon.
Israeli officials said the Iran-backed militia had last used such drones before a new ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon took effect in June, when similar attacks had killed Israeli soldiers.
Israel has long accused Hezbollah of planning cross-border incursions involving killings and kidnappings, similar to Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel.
The Israeli military has destroyed Hezbollah tunnels in Lebanon on multiple occasions in recent years, including some that extended into Israeli territory.
In late May, Israeli forces captured the 12th-century Crusader fortress of Beaufort Castle, which overlooks large parts of southern Lebanon. Israeli commentators described the loss of the strategically important position as a significant setback for Hezbollah.