Israeli Forces Seize Beaufort Castle in Southern Lebanon; Hezbollah Fighting Intensifies
Israeli troops seized the medieval hilltop fortress on Sunday and raised the national flag. The capture comes amid intensified ground operations and renewed exchanges with Hezbollah.
thehindu.comIsraeli forces captured the medieval Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon on Sunday and raised the national flag over the hilltop site. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the seizure marked a dramatic shift in the campaign and directed troops to deepen and expand their hold in areas previously under Hezbollah control.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the recapture commemorated soldiers who fell in the 1982 Lebanon War.
Hezbollah said it struck Israeli forces near the castle and targeted positions in Shlomi and Nahariya, triggering air-raid sirens in the Acre area. The Israeli military reported that a Hezbollah explosive drone killed one soldier on Saturday, bringing its death toll in Lebanon since early March to 25.
Lebanon's health ministry said Israeli attacks have killed more than 3,412 people since early March.
A strike near a hospital in Tyre wounded 13 staff members, according to the ministry. Civil defence teams from Tyre relocated to Sidon after being ordered to evacuate. Diplomatic sources told AFP that the UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Monday at France's request.
Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah called the castle a national archaeological site and said the Israeli flag there should provoke the feelings of every loyal patriot. Displaced residents in Sidon expressed fear and said they could not return home amid ongoing destruction.
Transparency
15 core facts confirmed by 2+ independent outlets, though all from one ideological lane. 22 single-source, 0 disputed.
Corroborating outlets share one lane and are mostly lower-tier — treat as weakly verified.
5 outlets classified · 1 left · 4 center · 0 right. Coverage spans the spectrum.
- @AFP reported: Lebanese health ministry stated that Israeli attacks have killed more than 3,412 people in Lebanon since early March 2026.
- @AFP reported: Israeli forces issued an evacuation order to areas south of the Zahrani River and north of the Litani River.
- livemint.com reported: Lebanese health ministry stated that at least 3,350 people have been killed in Lebanon.
- @AFP reported: A Hezbollah explosive drone killed one Israeli soldier on 30 May 2026.
- @AFP reported: An Israeli strike near a hospital in Tyre wounded 13 hospital staff.
- livemint.com reported: Israeli forces designated the area from the Litani River up to the Zahrani River a combat zone.
- livemint.com reported: More than one million people have been displaced in Lebanon.
- livemint.com reported: Israeli forces are operating approximately 5 km from the city of Nabatiyeh.
- @AFP reported: Israeli military stated that 900 Hezbollah fighters have been eliminated since the start of the ceasefire.
- @AFP reported: Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon, including the Tyre area, were the strongest since the war began.
- sbs.com.au reported: Israeli airstrikes on the village of Ansar killed three people.
- livemint.com reported: Israeli forces called on residents of Nabatiyeh to leave.
- middleeasteye.net reported: Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israeli forces had crossed the Litani River and were operating in Beirut and the Bekaa Valley.
- sbs.com.au reported: A drone strike on a road linking Ebba and Nabatieh wounded two Lebanese soldiers.
- @AFP reported: Benjamin Netanyahu directed forces to deepen and expand their hold in areas previously under Hezbollah control.
- livemint.com reported: Israel Katz stated that under Netanyahu and his direction the IDF crossed the Litani River and captured the Beaufort Ridge, one of the most important strategic points for defending Galilee communities.
- middleeasteye.net reported: The Golani Brigade banner flew above Beaufort Castle.
- livemint.com reported: Hezbollah claimed two attacks targeting Israeli troops and a Merkava tank near Bayada.
- @AFP reported: The UN Security Council is scheduled to hold an emergency meeting on 1 June 2026 over Israel's actions in Lebanon.
- sbs.com.au reported: Nawaf Salam accused Israel of pursuing a scorched-earth policy and collective punishment in southern Lebanon.
- @AFP reported: Emmanuel Macron stated that nothing justifies the major escalation in south Lebanon and called for an end to the fighting.
- @AFP reported: Hassan Fadlallah stated that Beaufort is a national archaeological site and was not a military site for Hezbollah.
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Israeli forces seized the 12th-century hilltop fortress overlooking the Litani River. The operation marks Israel's deepest advance into Lebanon in more than 26 years.