Israeli troops seize Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon incursion
Israeli forces say they have captured Beaufort Castle and a strategic ridge near Nabatiyeh in southern Lebanon after days of fighting and airstrikes in nearby villages. The military says the advance is its deepest incursion into Lebanon in 26 years. The site is a hilltop fortress overlooking a wide stretch of southern Lebanon and northern Israel, giving it clear military significance.
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According to the supplied report, the capture followed intense clashes with Hezbollah members in rugged terrain around the castle and the nearby Beaufort Ridge. The Israeli army's Arabic-language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, posted a photograph showing troops outside the castle. Defence Minister Israel Katz said on X that Israeli forces had raised the Israeli flag over the summit.
The military said it launched an operation a few days ago in the Beaufort Ridge and the Suluki valley further south with the aim of dismantling Hezbollah infrastructure and removing what it called direct threats to Israeli civilians. It also said the army was ready to expand the operation if needed. The report says the advance came despite a nominal ceasefire that has been in place since April 17, and just days before the next round of talks is due in Washington on June 2 and 3.
The capture matters because it marks a major gain in the latest Israel-Hezbollah war and shows that fighting in southern Lebanon remains active despite the ceasefire framework. The position gives Israeli troops an overlook point over much of southern Lebanon and parts of northern Israel, from which attacks have been launched towards Israeli residential areas. That makes the site both a tactical asset and a symbolically important location in the wider conflict.
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The report says Israeli troops previously captured Beaufort Castle in 1982 and held it until withdrawing from Lebanon in 2000. It also says the current war began in early March, and that Israel and Lebanon are holding direct talks in Washington. Those details place the latest advance within a longer pattern of cross-border conflict and repeated fighting over terrain in the south.
What remains unclear is how long Israeli forces intend to hold the castle and ridge, and whether the advance will lead to further movement in the Nabatiyeh area. It is also not clear how Hezbollah will respond or whether the ceasefire arrangement can withstand the latest escalation. The next developments to watch are the situation in nearby villages and the outcome of the talks scheduled in Washington later this week.
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