Israel Seizes Beaufort Castle in Deepening Lebanon Offensive
CNN reported Sunday that Israeli forces have seized the Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon, a UNESCO-protected Crusader fortress the country has not controlled for 26 years. The capture marks a significant escalation in an ongoing military push that has extended well beyond the Litani River.
A Fortress With Outsized Strategic Value
The castle sits on a high cliff near the city of Nabatiyeh, roughly 14 kilometres from the Israeli border. The Israel Defense Forces said its operation aimed at establishing control over the Beaufort Ridge and the adjacent Wadi al-Saluki area. The military stated that Hezbollah had used the ridge to coordinate combat operations and launch repeated attacks on Israeli positions. The IDF added that ground troops had commenced offensive action several days before the announcement, expanding what it called the Forward Defense Line.
Background: A Site Long Contested
Beaufort Castle was originally constructed by Crusaders some 900 years ago. UNESCO has described it as one of the finest surviving examples of medieval castle architecture in the Near East. The organisation also granted it provisional enhanced protection, the highest immunity level available under international cultural heritage rules. Israel previously held the site during earlier conflicts but withdrew around two decades ago. Lebanese state media reported heavy Israeli air raids and intense shelling in the castle’s vicinity in the days before the seizure. Hezbollah separately claimed it had disabled an Israeli armoured vehicle near the site, though that claim has not been independently confirmed.
Netanyahu Calls It a Policy Turning Point
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly praised the operation, describing the moment as a dramatic shift in the direction of his government’s military strategy. He said Israeli troops raised both the national flag and the flag of the Golani Brigade above the fortress. Netanyahu framed the capture not as an isolated tactical gain but as evidence of a broader strategic reorientation. The advance comes despite a ceasefire agreement reached in April, raising fresh questions over the terms of that deal and Israel’s long-term intentions inside Lebanese territory. International pressure to respect cultural heritage protections at the site had been building in the days preceding the seizure.