Israeli military captures historic Beaufort Castle as ground invasion expands in southern Lebanon
Bassem Mroue, Kareem Chehayeb And Melanie Lidman
Beirut: Israeli troops captured a strategic mountain in southern Lebanon, topped by a citadel built by the Crusaders, in the deepest assault on the country in more than a quarter-century, the army said.
The capture of the Beaufort fortress near the city of Nabatiyeh on Sunday (Lebanese time) came after days of air strikes and intense clashes between Israeli soldiers and Hezbollah militants in nearby villages.
The capture marked a major Israeli advance in the latest Israel-Hezbollah war, which began on March 2 when Hezbollah launched rockets into northern Israel, two days after the United States and Israel attacked its main backer Iran.
Since then, Israel has launched a ground offensive, capturing dozens of Lebanese villages and towns near the border. Hezbollah has launched thousands of missiles and drones at Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon and northern Israel.
Israel’s move comes despite a so-called ceasefire that has been in effect since April 17 and just days before Lebanon and Israel’s next round of direct talks, which begin in Washington on Tuesday.
The advance also challenges the emerging agreement to extend the war ceasefire in Iran, as Tehran also wants any agreement to end the conflict in Lebanon.
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a key Hezbollah ally, said he could guarantee the militant group’s “full, comprehensive and immediate commitment to the ceasefire.”
“So who will force Israel to stop its aggression?” He said the following in his statement on television channel NBN.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot requested an emergency meeting to discuss Israel’s military operations in Lebanon, which the United Nations Security Council described as “unacceptable”.
Speaking to French television BFM TV, Barrot said, “Nothing can justify the extension of Israel’s military operations in Lebanon and the ever-deepening occupation of Lebanese territory.”
A historical and strategic castle
The Israeli army’s Arabic-speaking spokesman, Avichay Adraee, posted photos on Israeli troops previously captured the castle in 1982 and held it until they withdrew from Lebanon in 2000.
“Twenty-six years after withdrawing from the security zone in Lebanon, the Israeli flag is back flying on summits overlooking Galilee towns,” Katz said in a statement Sunday.
Katz said Israel intends to hold the fort as its troops try to destroy thousands more homes that it says are used by Hezbollah and other military infrastructure in southern Lebanon.
Talal Atrissi, a professor of sociology at the Lebanese University and an analyst close to Hezbollah, said the photo of the Israeli flag above the fortress was intended as a message to Israeli society that the army managed to achieve objectives in Lebanon despite the challenges posed by Hezbollah’s use of drones.
Perched atop Lebanon’s rolling green hills and overlooking the Litani River, Beaufort castle has been a strategic military asset for centuries.
The castle, which was built as a Crusader castle on top of the previous walls in the 12th century, was also used by Saladin’s Jerusalem army, the Mamluks, the Ottomans, the French mandate and the Palestine Liberation Organization. The Crusaders named it Beaufort, which means “beautiful castle” in Old French.
The capture of the fortress from the PLO in 1982 was a major victory for the Israeli army, led by then-defense minister Ariel Sharon, who later became prime minister. At that time, the Israeli army advanced north and occupied Beirut.
In 2000, the castle was partially restored and opened to visitors. During the previous Israel-Hezbollah war in 2024, UNESCO provided enhanced protection to 34 cultural sites, including Beaufort Castle in Lebanon, to protect them from damage.
The fortress is located a few kilometers north of the Israeli border and overlooks large areas of southern Lebanon and northern Israel. In Arabic, it is called the fortress of Al-Shaqif, an ancient Syriac word referring to the difficult rocky region.
Beaufort is symbolic throughout the region, including in Israel, where it is one of the best-known places that Israel controlled during the 18-year occupation. An Israeli war film titled “Beaufort” explores moral questions about the war in the final days before the army withdraws.
Israel expands its occupation in Lebanon
Israel has expanded the scope of its operations in Lebanon in recent days; He sent troops to the Litani River, which had previously served as a de facto border, and demanded that residents leave most of southern Lebanon.
“The occupation of Beaufort is a dramatic phase and a dramatic change in the policies we are pursuing,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday, referring to the military occupation of security zones along Israel’s borders in Syria, Lebanon and Gaza. He said Israel had killed 3,000 Hezbollah militants since the start of the war. Hezbollah did not disclose the death toll.
Israel has designated the area from Litani to the Zahrani River as a war zone. Although some residents have left the area due to the intense strikes in recent days, people are still in the area.
Israeli troops have been advancing on villages close to Beaufort castle for days. They are now about 5 kilometers from Nabatiyeh, a major center in southern Lebanon. People were called to leave this region and the coastal city of Tire, the fourth largest city in the country, and its surroundings.
There has been no comment yet from Hezbollah or the Lebanese government regarding the Israeli attack.
Beirut geopolitical analyst Joe Macaron said the expanded operation would give Israel the upper hand in talks with Lebanon in Washington.
“We are at a turning point,” said Macaron, adding that it was too early to say how Hezbollah would react to the loss of territory. “More land [the Israeli military] “The more they can capture it before the ceasefire, the more conditions they can impose on Hezbollah before withdrawing.”
Trump made tougher demands on Iran
US President Donald Trump toughened the terms of a possible deal to end the war with Iran and sent proposed changes back to Tehran for consideration. New York Times he reported, citing three officials.
The nature of the changes is unclear, but they are aimed at speeding up the process, potentially by putting pressure on Iran to accept the framework sent to Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei. Times reported.
The semi-official Tasnim news agency, which has close ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said messages were still being exchanged between Iran and the United States and that the two sides were still proposing changes.
He added that no agreement had been reached and it was possible that any agreement would collapse. “Everything said now is speculation and should not be given any importance,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said, according to Tasnim.
