In a 2021 research paper, he added: “The map is marked, by an unknown party, with polygons (circles) indicating 36 geographic regions, towns and villages.

“In our assessment, these polygons mark Hezbollah’s staging centers as part of the ‘defense’ plan against an Israeli invasion of Lebanon. Each local staging center (‘defense’) possesses a network of local underground tunnels. Between all these centers, an infrastructure of regional tunnels was built, interconnected [with] them.”

Speaking to the Times of Israel this week, Mr Beeri said he has drawn up a map showing a 45-kilometer route of one “attack tunnel” in south Lebanon.

He added: “We see the work that Hamas has been doing. And if that’s what’s been going on with the digging and building of the tunnels in Gaza, well, in Lebanon, it’s more sophisticated.

“We have identified several kinds of tunnels in Lebanon: First, what everybody calls attack tunnels, particularly large and long tunnels that lead from area to area. One can enter them in vehicles and even medium-sized trucks.

“Along with them, there are tactical tunnels, which the IDF exposed and destroyed in Operation Northern Shield in January 2019. They are intended for people only to move around in, and in extreme circumstances, maybe a motorcycle. Tactical tunnels are close to villages, and they enable terrorists to fight from underground — to fire from tunnel shafts and duck back in, to rearm from weapons stores inside, to rest, and emerge again.

“In our assessment, it could be that there are also ‘proximate tunnels.’ These are similar to the attack tunnels that the IDF thwarted in 2019 but don’t cross the border. They enable access almost to the border, and from there to emerge and attack. We’re talking about activities such as those by the Radwan force that has been planning to invade the Galilee.

“An additional kind of tunnel are explosive tunnels. They are dug for the sole purpose of placing explosives inside, with the devices to be detonated when the IDF maneuvers on the ground inside Lebanon.”