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Jordan Warns of All-Out Regional War After Attack in Golan Heights

A view of the devastation resulting from the attack on the Golan Heights, which left 12 dead (AP)
A view of the devastation resulting from the attack on the Golan Heights, which left 12 dead (AP)
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Jordan Warns of All-Out Regional War After Attack in Golan Heights

A view of the devastation resulting from the attack on the Golan Heights, which left 12 dead (AP)
A view of the devastation resulting from the attack on the Golan Heights, which left 12 dead (AP)

Jordan warned on Sunday of the risk of an all-out regional war after a deadly attack that killed 12 young people in the Golan Heights and was attributed by Israel to the Lebanese Hezbollah, according to Agence France Presse.

Jordan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it warned against the dangerous escalation in southern Lebanon and the repercussions of igniting a new war in the region.
The Ministry also warned that the escalation in southern Lebanon could lead to the expansion of the war into a comprehensive regional war.

The Ministry's Spokesperson Sufyan Al-Qudah stressed the importance of supporting Lebanon, its security, stability, and the safety of its people and institutions.
He emphasized that the continued Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip pushes towards further escalation and tension and threatens to expand the conflict regionally.
He affirmed the need to launch an effective international action that imposes an immediate cessation of the aggression and ends the resulting humanitarian catastrophe to protect the Palestinian people from further massacres and destruction and to protect regional and international security and stability.

On Sunday, Israel vowed to “hit the enemy hard” after rocket fire from Lebanon killed 12 young people in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights and again raised fears that the war in Gaza will spread.

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Arab World

Lebanon’s Rocky Terrain Makes Tunnel Digging Easy for Hezbollah

Entrance to a border tunnel destroyed by the Israeli army at the Lebanon border in 2019 (AFP)
Entrance to a border tunnel destroyed by the Israeli army at the Lebanon border in 2019 (AFP)
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Lebanon’s Rocky Terrain Makes Tunnel Digging Easy for Hezbollah

Entrance to a border tunnel destroyed by the Israeli army at the Lebanon border in 2019 (AFP)
Entrance to a border tunnel destroyed by the Israeli army at the Lebanon border in 2019 (AFP)

Hezbollah is using Lebanon’s rocky landscape to dig tunnels in mountains and valleys, aiming to hide from Israeli airstrikes and launch attacks from what are considered safe areas.

Due to limited details on how these tunnels are built or their specific purposes, experts believe Hezbollah uses this method as an alternative to open combat under Israeli aircraft.

Retired Brig. Gen. Fadi Daoud told Asharq Al-Awsat that Hezbollah’s tunnel strategy forces Israel into difficult underground warfare, a challenging type of combat in military terms.

Daoud explained that tunnel networks “take away key advantages from the enemy.”

“Even though the Israeli military has a powerful air force for reconnaissance and airstrikes, tunnels prevent them from seeing targets. This has reduced the effectiveness of the air force and limits its ability to maneuver,” said Daoud.

He also noted that the Israeli military is prepared for tunnel warfare, with weapons like the Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb, sponge bombs, and Bunker Buster bombs, which can destroy tunnels up to 60 meters deep. However, using these weapons depends on the situation.

Regarding Hezbollah’s tunnel network, Daoud mentioned that while there isn’t exact information, it is believed that the area from the border to seven kilometers inside Lebanon is likely covered by an underground tunnel system.

This is why Israel wants Hezbollah pushed beyond the Litani River, as it thinks there are no tunnels beyond that point. However, Daoud emphasized that these are only estimates, and no one has confirmed information.

Israeli studies suggest that Hezbollah has built a complex underground tunnel network in Lebanon, stretching for several kilometers.

These reports highlight how Hezbollah benefits from Lebanon’s natural landscape, which makes tunneling easier. Modern tunneling equipment is expensive and not widely available, even to the Lebanese government, with some tunnels taking years to complete.

Dr. Tony Nemer, a geology and seismology expert at the American University of Beirut, explained that Lebanon's rocks are mainly limestone.

When exposed to water containing carbon dioxide, the rocks form carbonic acid, which can hollow out the limestone. This natural process has led to the formation of many caves in Lebanon.

Nemer pointed out that the karstic nature of these rocks makes digging tunnels easier.

He noted that while most of Lebanon’s rocks are limestone, there are also some sandy and volcanic rocks, but these make up only 15%-20% of the country’s terrain.