On Saturday night into Sunday, Israeli troops captured a strategic hill on which sits the Crusader-built Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon. It is the deepest incursion into the country in more than a quarter of a century, the army said. The Israeli flag is now flying over the medieval fortress.
The capture of the castle, near the city of Nabatiyeh, came after days of air strikes and intense fighting in nearby villages, where Israeli troops clashed with Hezbollah fighters.
Its capture marks an important development in the latest war between Israel and Hezbollah, which began on 2 March when Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel, two days after the United States and Israel had struck its main backer, Iran.
Since then Israel has launched a ground invasion, seizing 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.
The Israeli advance has taken place despite a nominal ceasefire in place since 17 April and just days before the next round of direct talks between Lebanon and Israel, scheduled at the State Department on 2 and 3 June.
