Deepest incursion in 26 years: Israeli forces capture strategic Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon

Israeli military’s statement

In a statement, the Israeli military said that it launched an operation a few days ago in the Beaufort Ridge and the Suluki valley further south, aiming to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure and remove “direct threats to Israeli civilians”.

The statement added that the army is ready “to expand the operation if needed.”

The military’s advancement into the Beaufort Castle has granted Israeli troops an overlook point over much of ‌southern Lebanon and ​northern Israel, ​from where ​Hezbollah had launched multiple attacks towards Israeli residential areas, Reuters noted.

Hezbollah “carried out numerous attacks,” from the ​Ridge, the military stated, as quoted by the news agency.

It added that Israeli ⁠troops were operating against launch infrastructure in the area, from which “hundreds of projectiles were launched toward Israeli civilians and ‌IDF soldiers.”

Israeli ministers hail capture

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz Sunday hailed it as a “strategic” victory for “the defence of the Galilee communities and maintaining the security of our forces.” He said they had raised an Israeli flag over the Crusader-built castle.

Over a post on Telegram, Katz said that fighting is underway while promising to continue efforts to weaken Hezbollah and secure Israel’s northern border.

Moreover, the Israeli army’s Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee also shared a photograph on X, which showed Israeli troops walking outside the castle.

Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, meanwhile, praised the capture as a restoration of old “sins”.

Over a post on X. Smotrich wrote: “We promised the heroic residents of the north lasting security, and we are acting with determination to achieve this.” “The return to Beaufort is an expression of correcting old national sins and distorted perceptions.”

The Hezbollah or the Lebanese government has yet commented on the development.

Israel-Hezbollah war update

Israeli troops have been advancing for days in villages close to the Beaufort castle after it crossed the Litani River, the AP report noted.

The Litani river has acted as a de facto boundary for the Israeli military previously. The military officials are now about 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the city of Nabatiyeh, a major center in southern Lebanon, according to the news report.

They have called on all the residents of Nabatiyeh and the coastal city of Tyre, and its surroundings, to vacate.

The war between Israel and Hezbollah began on March 2, when the latter fired rockets into northern parts of Israel. It followed the joint military campaign by the United States and Israel against its supporter, Iran.

Israel has since launched a ground operation, capturing many Lebanese villages and towns close to the border. The incursion has left 3,350 people dead in Lebanon and over 1 million people displaced, the AP report highlighted.