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Israeli troops person captured a strategical upland topped with a Crusader-built castle successful confederate Lebanon successful the deepest incursion into the state successful much than a quarter-century, the subject said connected Sunday (May 31, 2026).
The taking of Beaufort castle, adjacent the metropolis of Nabatiyeh, followed days of airstrikes and aggravated warring successful adjacent villages betwixt Israeli troops and Hezbollah militants.
The seizure marked a large Israeli beforehand successful the latest Israel-Hezbollah war, which began connected March 2, erstwhile Hezbollah fired rockets into bluish Israel 2 days aft the U.S. and Israel attacked its main backer, Iran.
Since then, Israel has launched a crushed invasion, capturing dozens of Lebanese villages and towns adjacent to the border. Hezbollah has launched thousands of missiles and drones astatine Israeli soldiers successful confederate Lebanon and bluish Israel.
The Israeli propulsion came contempt a nominal ceasefire that has been successful spot since April 17 and conscionable days earlier Lebanon and Israeli clasp their adjacent circular of nonstop talks successful Washington starting Tuesday.
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a cardinal Hezbollah ally, said helium tin warrant the militant group's “full, broad and contiguous committedness to a ceasefire."
“But who volition unit Israel to halt its aggression?” helium said successful a connection connected his tv station, NBN.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot requested an exigency gathering of the United Nations Security Council to sermon Israeli subject operations successful Lebanon, which helium described arsenic “unacceptable.”
“Nothing tin warrant the prolongation of Israeli subject operations successful Lebanon and its progressively heavy concern of Lebanese territory,” Mr. Barrot said connected Sunday (May 31, 2026) connected French tv BFM TV.
Diplomats said the assembly gathering mightiness instrumentality spot Monday (June 1, 2026) afternoon, speaking connected information of anonymity up of a ceremonial announcement.
A historical and strategical fortress
The Israeli military's Arabic-language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, posted photographs connected X showing Israeli troops walking extracurricular the castle, and Defense Minister Israel Katz wrote connected X that they raised an Israeli emblem implicit the castle. Israeli troops antecedently captured the castle successful 1982 and held it until they withdrew from Lebanon successful 2000.
“Twenty six years aft the withdrawal from the information portion successful Lebanon, the Israeli emblem has returned to alert connected the peaks that place the Galilee towns,” Katz said Sunday astatine a memorial ceremonial for Israeli soldiers killed successful its erstwhile concern of confederate Lebanon.
Katz said Israel intends to clasp the castle arsenic its troops enactment to destruct thousands much homes that helium says were utilized by Hezbollah and different subject infrastructure successful confederate Lebanon.
The Beaufort fortress, perched precocious atop Lebanon's rolling greenish hills and overlooking the Litani River, has been a strategical subject plus for centuries.
Built arsenic a Crusader castle astir the 12th period connected apical of erstwhile fortifications, it has besides been utilized by Saladin's Jerusalem army, Mamluks, Ottomans, the French mandate and the Palestine Liberation Organization. The Crusaders named it Beaufort, which is Old French for “beautiful fortress.” The 1982 seizure of the castle from the PLO was a large triumph for the Israeli military, which was past led by Defense Minister Ariel Sharon, who aboriginal became premier minister. At the time, the Israeli service pushed each the mode northbound and occupied Beirut.
In 2000, the castle was partially restored and opened to visitors.
During the erstwhile Israel-Hezbollah warfare successful 2024, UNESCO gave enhanced extortion to 34 taste sites successful Lebanon, including Beaufort Castle, to safeguard them from damage.
The castle is simply a fewer kilometers northbound of the Israel borderline and overlooks wide parts of confederate Lebanon and bluish Israel. In Arabic, it is called Al-Shaqif castle, an aged Syriac connection referring to the formidable rocky area.
Israel expands penetration successful Lebanon
In caller days, Israel has expanded the scope of its operations successful Lebanon, sending troops crossed the Litani River, which antecedently served arsenic a de-facto boundary, and demanding that residents permission overmuch of confederate Lebanon.
“The concern of Beaufort is simply a melodramatic signifier and a melodramatic displacement successful the policies we are leading,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday, citing the subject concern of information zones successful Syria, Lebanon and Gaza on Israel's borders. He said Israel has killed 3,000 Hezbollah militants since the commencement of the war. Hezbollah has not disclosed its casualty numbers.
Israel has designated the country from the Litani up to the Zahrani River a combat zone. Some residents person already near the country owed to aggravated strikes successful caller days, but radical remain.
Israeli troops person been advancing for days successful villages adjacent to Beaufort castle. They are present astir 5 kilometers (3 miles) from Nabatiyeh, a large halfway successful confederate Lebanon. They person called connected radical to permission that area, arsenic good arsenic the coastal metropolis of Tyre, the country's fourth-largest city, and its surroundings.
