AP, BEIRUT
Israeli troops have captured a strategic mountain topped with a Crusader-built castle in southern Lebanon in their deepest incursion into the country in more than a quarter century, the Israeli military said yesterday.The capture of Beaufort Castle came after days of intense fighting and airstrikes in nearby villages where Israeli troops fought Hezbollah members in the rugged area.It marks a major gain for Israel in the war, which began in early March. Israel and Lebanon have been at war since Israel was created in 1948, and are currently holding direct talks in Washington.
An Israeli flag flutters on Beaufort Castle in Lebanon yesterday.
The Israeli push came despite a nominal ceasefire that has been in place since April 17 and just days before the next round of talks are to be held in the US tomorrow and the day after.The Israeli army’s Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee posted a photograph on X showing Israeli troops walking outside the castle, while Israeli Minister of Defense Israel Katz wrote on X that they had raised an Israeli flag over the castle.
Israeli troops previously captured the castle in 1982 and held it until they withdrew from Lebanon in 2000.The Israeli 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 “direct threats to Israeli civilians.”The army is ready “to expand the operation if needed,” it said.Over the past few days, Israel has expanded the scope of its operations in Lebanon, sending troops across the Litani River, which previously served as a de facto boundary, and demanding that residents leave much of southern Lebanon.Israel has designated the area from the Litani up to the Zahrani River a combat zone. Some residents have already left the area due to the intense airstrikes, but people remain in many of the area’s towns.Israeli troops have been advancing for days in villages close to Beaufort Castle after crossing the Litani River. They are now about 5km from the city of Nabatiyeh, a major center in southern Lebanon, and have called on all its residents to leave, as well as the residents of the coastal city of Tyre, the country’s fourth largest city, and its surroundings.There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah or the Lebanese government on the Israeli push.
