JERUSALEM: Israel’s military chief visited forces deployed around Beaufort castle in southern Lebanon on Sunday, vowing to push ahead with the campaign against Hezbollah.
“The IDF will continue to operate decisively to remove threats from Lebanese territory and is prepared to transition rapidly to offensive operations should the ceasefire be violated,” Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir told soldiers during the visit, according to a statement issued by the military.
Israeli forces seized the crusader-era castle and the area around it recently, giving the military a strategic toehold it previously occupied for nearly two decades.
Israel says it uncovered a tunnel network beneath the castle, saying it was built to give fighters of Lebanese militant group Hezbollah a fortified strike hub just kilometers from Israeli territory.
Israel previously overran the fortress during its 1982 invasion of Lebanon, after a prolonged battle with the Palestinian fighters hidden in the castle’s maze of historic underground tunnels.
