Israeli forces have seized Beaufort Castle, a Crusader-era hilltop fortress in southern Lebanon near the city of Nabatiyeh, marking the deepest incursion into Lebanese territory since Israeli troops withdrew from the country in 2000. The capture, announced early on Sunday morning, came after several days of intense fighting, airstrikes, and tank and artillery fire in surrounding villages. The Israeli military's Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee posted a photograph on X showing soldiers outside the castle's ruins. An Israeli military spokeswoman said a large-scale operation, led by the 36th Division and guided by military intelligence, aims to destroy Hezbollah's military infrastructure, neutralise fighters, and eliminate what the army describes as a "direct threat" to communities in northern Israel.
Built by Crusaders in the Middle Ages, Beaufort Castle sits atop a commanding ridge with sweeping views over the Litani River — long regarded as an informal boundary for Israeli ground operations in Lebanon. Israel held the castle for 18 years before its 2000 withdrawal. Israeli forces have now pushed north of the Litani, extending the declared evacuation zone to the Zahrani River, roughly 10 kilometres further north and approximately 40 kilometres from the Israeli border. Together with the so-called "yellow line" buffer zone already under Israeli control, the affected area amounts to around 2,000 square kilometres — about one-fifth of Lebanon's territory. The yellow-line zone, covering roughly six per cent of Lebanon, has been largely depopulated, with many villages demolished by Israeli forces. International law experts have said Israel's occupation of this zone violates Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity. A ceasefire formally took effect on 16 April, though it has been extended and repeatedly violated by both sides.
Over one million Lebanese have been displaced by the offensive, and Lebanese health ministry figures put the death toll at more than 3,370 killed and over 10,000 wounded since the war began in early March. Hezbollah, the Iran-backed armed movement, entered the conflict following US-Israeli strikes that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Israeli officials cite Hezbollah's use of fibre-optic cable-guided drones — which are resistant to electronic jamming and have destroyed Israeli tanks — as a key reason for pushing deeper into Lebanese territory. Hezbollah claimed 21 military operations on Saturday alone, including strikes on Israeli settlements and military bases in northern Israel, and said its actions were in response to Israeli ceasefire violations.
The Lebanese army, described by analysts as "overly stretched," has withdrawn from positions overrun by Israeli forces to protect its personnel. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned the latest escalation as "serious and unprecedented," accusing Israel of pursuing a policy of total destruction and mass displacement. Despite the fighting, diplomatic efforts continue in Washington, where the Pentagon hosted a second round of security talks between Israeli and Lebanese military delegations. Lebanon is seeking a comprehensive ceasefire, an Israeli withdrawal, and the reactivation of the monitoring committee established under the 2024 ceasefire agreement. Israel has rejected Lebanese demands for withdrawal as part of any disarmament process, and a further round of talks mediated by the US State Department is expected next week.
The dual track of military escalation and diplomatic negotiation underscores the precarious state of the conflict. Israel says it will continue expanding operations "as needed," while Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has publicly demanded further strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs and a rejection of any ceasefire arrangement. Lebanon's prime minister, meanwhile, has insisted that decisions on war and peace must rest with the Lebanese state — a pointed message to Hezbollah, which has called on its supporters to resist the Lebanese government's negotiating stance.