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Israel announces capture of strategic Beaufort Castle in Lebanon
Israel's defense minister says troops have captured the strategic medieval fortress of Beaufort in southern Lebanon.The announcement came as Israel expanded its ground operations against the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
Israeli forces previously seized the Crusader-built castle, also known as Qalaat al-Shakif, in 1982 and held it until they withdrew from Lebanon in 2000.
"Forty-four years after the heroic Battle of Beaufort, and on this day commemorating the soldiers who fell in the First Lebanon War (1982), our troops have returned to the summit of Beaufort and once again raised the Israeli flag there," Defense Minister Israel Katz said on his Telegram channel.
Located near the city of Nabatiyeh, the fortress is considered strategically important as it offers sweeping views over southern Lebanon.
Its capture follows days of intense fighting between Hezbollah and Israeli troops in nearby villages.
There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah or the Lebanese government.
The Israeli military said in a statement that it launched an operation a few days ago in the Beaufort Ridge with the aim of dismantling Hezbollah infrastructure and removing "direct threats to Israeli civilians."
Israel has expanded its ground invasion in southern Lebanon in recent days by sending troops across the Litani River, which previously served as a de facto boundary.
The war between Israel and Hezbollah has killed at least 3,350 people and displaced more than 1 million in Lebanon. Twenty-five Israeli soldiers have been killed in the operation, as well as two civilians in northern Israel, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office.
