politics
Israel Seizes Hezbollah Rocket Base at Lebanon's Beaufort Castle
Israeli forces seized the 12th-century Crusader fortress on Sunday, marking their deepest advance into Lebanon in 26 years. The operation occurred despite an April 17 ceasefire and days before scheduled talks in Washington.
May 31, 4:31 PM·2m read5 sources
ZE
ViolationRetaking base
The Sydney Morning HeraldAudio version
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Israeli troops captured Beaufort castle, a strategic mountain site topped by a 12th-century Crusader fortress near Nabatiyeh, on Sunday. The military said the operation followed airstrikes and fighting in nearby villages. Photographs posted by the military’s Arabic-language spokesperson showed Israeli troops walking outside the castle and an Israeli flag raised over the stone complex.
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The fortress, also known as Qalaat al-Shakif, overlooks the Litani River and commands views of the Galilee Panhandle in northern Israel and the Nabatieh area in southern Lebanon. It has stood for nearly 1,000 years and has been used by Saladin’s forces, the Mamluks, Ottomans, the French mandate, and the Palestine Liberation Organisation.
Israeli forces held the site from 1982 until their withdrawal in 2000.
The capture marks Israel’s farthest incursion into Lebanon in 26 years. Israeli forces have captured dozens of villages and towns near the border since the current round of fighting began on March 2. Hezbollah has fired thousands of missiles and drones into northern Israel and at Israeli troops in southern Lebanon.
Israeli forces have designated territory between the Litani and Zahrani rivers a combat zone and ordered residents to leave parts of the area, including near Nabatiyeh and the city of Tyre. An IDF spokesman said anyone present near Hezbollah elements endangers their life. The castle appears to have been shelled before the final ground assault.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the occupation of Beaufort marked a shift in policy and cited the deaths of 3,000 Hezbollah fighters since March. Hezbollah has not released casualty figures. Lebanese health officials reported more than 3,180 Lebanese killed and more than 9,000 wounded since early March.
