Israeli military assessments indicate that most Hezbollah fighters believed to have taken refuge inside an extensive tunnel network beneath the Ali al-Taher mountain range in southern Lebanon have been killed after weeks of siege and intensive military operations, Israeli media reported Wednesday.

According to new assessments cited by the Israeli newspaper Maariv, the Israeli army believes the bodies of between 10 and 15 Hezbollah fighters may remain inside the underground network, known as the “Cities of Refuge.”

Israeli military officials believe the fighters were killed in bombardments and direct clashes, while others may have died after supplies of food and water were cut off during the prolonged siege, according to the report.

Only a small number of Hezbollah fighters are believed to have escaped the tunnel complex. Some of those attempting to flee were reportedly killed or wounded by Israeli fire.

The operations have been carried out by the Israeli army's 36th Division, which has spent weeks surrounding and targeting the mountainous area as part of a broader campaign against Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon.

An Israeli military source told Maariv that Israeli forces had found no evidence that members or advisers of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were present inside the tunnels during the ground operation.

The source said the tunnel network had been planned and constructed with Iranian support and supervision but that no IRGC personnel had been detected inside the complex since the Israeli military campaign began.

The Israeli army's assessment came as Hezbollah continued attempts to target Israeli forces operating in the area.

In the early hours of Wednesday, Hezbollah launched two drones toward Israeli troops on the ground. Israeli forces shot down one of the drones, while the second exploded without causing any casualties, according to the Israeli military.

Despite its assessment that most of the fighters inside the tunnel network have been killed, the Israeli army has said it is not rushing to declare the operation over.

Israeli forces are advancing slowly and with what the military describes as extreme caution because of concerns that explosives and booby traps may have been planted inside the underground passages and other concealed areas.

The cautious approach reflects lessons learned from previous Israeli operations in Quneitra, Majdal Zoun and Beaufort Castle, where troops faced explosive devices and ambushes.