An Israeli flag flies over the medieval Beaufort Castle, known locally as Qalaat al-Shaqif or Shaqif Arnoun, as seen from the Marjayoun area of southern Lebanon on May 31, 2026.
Farhad Ibragimov
In recent days, Israel has intensified its military campaign in Lebanon, taking the operation to a whole new level.
This isn’t just another exchange of strikes in the south of the country, but a demonstrative expansion of Israel’s ground presence beyond the previous boundaries of the conflict. Israeli forces crossed the Litani River and captured Beaufort Castle, a symbolically and strategically significant fortress perched on a high cliff in southern Lebanon.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the capture of Beaufort as a “dramatic stage and a dramatic change” in Israel’s policy in Lebanon. The goal is to deepen and expand control over areas previously under Hezbollah’s influence.
