Beneath Lebanon: The underground state Hezbollah built

Never did the Lebanese imagine that the saying “a state within the state” could be taken so literally. Hezbollah has exercised a level of control over parts of Lebanon where even movement through its strongholds can be subject to scrutiny. But what has emerged beneath the surface reveals a far deeper reality.

Hezbollah’s tunnel network appears to extend far beyond what many could have imagined -from narrow, human-sized passages to sprawling underground corridors, bunkers and military complexes designed to store weapons, move fighters and prepare for war.

How were these networks built, who covered and uncovered them, what was detected and reported, and how could such a vast military infrastructure take root without the state stopping it?

Nicholas Blanford: The secrecy behind Hezbollah’s tunnel network

Nicholas Blanford, a political and security analyst at the Atlantic Council, told The Beiruter that Hezbollah’s underground infrastructure evolved significantly after the 2006 war, from relatively simple, human-sized tunnels to sophisticated networks capable of accommodating vehicles, weapons and large numbers of fighters.

Before 2006, Hezbollah had potentially built more than 1,000 small tunnels across southern Lebanon. “They were people-sized tunnels, narrow corridors, not something where you could drive vehicles, trucks and so on as we saw later on.”

Drawing on his own exploration of abandoned Hezbollah bunkers after the 2006 war, Blanford described relatively simple but remarkably well-equipped structures. The tunnels were reinforced with steel girders and sheets, with entrances designed to avoid detection from Israeli aircraft and drones. Inside, they featured ventilation systems, electricity, kitchens, bathrooms with hot water and sleeping areas. Some had separate vertical and horizontal entrances and multiple underground rooms.

Their concealment was equally meticulous. Metal entrances were painted matte black to prevent sunlight from revealing them from the air, while interior walls were painted glossy white to reflect artificial light. Excavated rock was reportedly carried away in sacks and scattered beneath trees to conceal evidence. For Blanford, the real achievement was the secrecy surrounding the construction.

A striking example was a large bunker network near Labboune, close to Naqoura and around 100 meters from the border. It included underground medical facilities, dormitories, kitchens and weapons storage, and reportedly went undetected despite its proximity to Israeli and UNIFIL positions.

Part of the Hezbollah bunker at Labboune near the Blue Line, destroyed by Israel at the end of the 2006 war. Photo credit: Nicholas Blanford.

Post-2006

After the 2006 war, Hezbollah’s underground infrastructure became considerably more sophisticated. Blanford pointed to the group’s publicly released footage of the Imad-4 complex, which showed extensive networks capable of accommodating trucks carrying missiles and other military equipment.

It was no longer simple passageways running through a mountain. These were massive, complex bunker tunnel networks, and were not confined to southern Lebanon, but were also built in the Beqaa Valley and areas north of the Litani River.

Blanford also cast doubt on reports of extensive Hezbollah tunnel networks in predominantly Christian or Druze areas, arguing that the group generally built its underground infrastructure in areas where it had a strong presence and could maintain secrecy. “They wouldn't go into Druze areas, for example, in the south, or Christian areas in the south,” he said. He pointed instead to predominantly Shiite areas of southern Lebanon and the northern Beqaa, including around Baalbek, where Hezbollah had greater control and could operate more securely.

Regarding reports of the rediscovery of a tunnel network in Jbeil and Keserwan, a security source told The Beiruter that there is currently no information that can be confirmed, adding that any reports on the matter remain subject to verification.