Israel captures Beaufort Castle in deepest Lebanon incursion in 26 years

Israeli troops seized Beaufort Castle, the Crusader-built fortress that dominates southern Lebanon from a steep mountain above the Litani River and northern Israel, in what Israeli officials cast as a decisive break in the campaign against Hezbollah. The capture put Israeli forces on one of the region’s most commanding heights and marked the deepest incursion into Lebanon in about 26 years.

The fortress matters because its position is as important as its history. Beaufort Castle overlooks key approaches in southern Lebanon, giving whoever controls it an elevated view over movement in the surrounding valleys and toward the Israeli border. UNESCO describes it as one of the best-preserved medieval castles in the Near East, but for military planners its value has long been tied to the ridge line, not the ruins.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered troops to move further into Lebanon and described the takeover as a “dramatic” or “decisive” shift in Israel’s policy against Hezbollah. Defense Minister Israel Katz said the castle would remain part of a renewed Israeli security zone in Lebanon, signaling that the move was intended as more than a brief raid. The claim lands with added force because Israel previously held Beaufort Castle from 1982 until its withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000.

The assault came after days of intense bombardment and ground fighting around Nabatiyeh and the nearby town of Arnoun, where smoke was seen rising as the Israeli flag was raised over the fortress. Israel also widened evacuation and displacement warnings across southern Lebanon, including orders south of the Zahrani River. Those warnings added to the civilian toll of an expanding campaign that has pushed families to flee areas already battered by airstrikes and cross-border fire.

Whether Netanyahu’s language matches the reality on the ground will depend on what comes next. Capturing Beaufort Castle gives Israel a symbolic triumph and a stronger military perch, but it also deepens the risks along the Lebanon border, where Hezbollah can respond with rocket fire and guerrilla attacks against any Israeli-held zone. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned the offensive as scorched-earth policy and collective punishment, saying it would widen the divide rather than bring security. The battlefield gain could also increase pressure from the United States and other allies, who are likely to press harder as civilian displacement spreads and the prospect of a wider war grows.