Hezbollah Rebuffs Overtures to Withdraw from Ali Taher Ridge
Hezbollah has rejected requests from the Lebanese government to withdraw its forces from the strategic Ali Taher Ridge in southern Lebanon. Despite mediation efforts by President Joseph Aoun and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to hand the territory over to the Lebanese Army, the group maintained its positions. The ridge is a critical vantage point overlooking the border, and the refusal to vacate heightens the risk of continued direct engagement with Israeli forces.