Israel Seizes Strategic Beaufort Castle in Lebanon, Key Heights in Anti-Hezbollah Operation
Al Jazeera Staff
Israeli forces have captured Beaufort Castle, a medieval fortress in southern Lebanon, marking a key tactical gain in the campaign against Hezbollah. The 900-year-old Crusader fortress offers commanding views over southern Lebanon and northern Israel.
On June 1, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed that the Israeli military had captured Beaufort Castle, an ancient fortress in southern Lebanon. Speaking at a memorial ceremony for soldiers killed in the 1982 war with Lebanon, Katz stated: "The Israeli flag is once again flying on the hilltops overlooking the Galilee communities. Our heroic soldiers have retaken Beaufort and will remain there as part of the security zone in Lebanon."
Beaufort Castle, known in Arabic as Qalaat al-Shaqif, is a 900-year-old fortress perched on a rocky hill in southern Lebanon, about 700 meters above sea level. Built in the 12th century by Crusaders, the fortress overlooks the Litani River. The name Beaufort in Old French means "beautiful fortress."
Over the centuries, the fortress changed hands multiple times, from the Crusaders to various regional powers, including the Ottoman Empire. The castle's high position has long been considered one of the most important defensive strongholds in the area, enabling whoever controls it to monitor activities across a wide area of southern Lebanon.
In modern history, Palestinian militants used the site as a base before Israel captured it during its 1982 invasion of Lebanon. Israeli forces then occupied the castle as part of a security zone in southern Lebanon until they withdrew from the area in 2000.
The capture of Beaufort Castle gives the Israeli army a significant tactical advantage. The fortress sits on a strategic hill near Nabatieh, Lebanon's fifth-largest city, and the surrounding mountain range is regarded as one of the most important military positions in southern Lebanon. From here, Israeli forces can observe much of southern Lebanon and northern Israel. Israeli officials say the operation aims to destroy Hezbollah's infrastructure and seize control of high ground near the Israeli border.
The seizure comes amid ongoing fighting despite a "ceasefire" agreement between Israel and Lebanon, which Israel has been accused of repeatedly violating. According to the latest data from the Lebanese Health Ministry, more than 3,412 people have been killed and 10,269 wounded in Israeli attacks on the country since March 2.
Israeli forces captured Beaufort Castle after days of clashes and airstrikes on villages around the fortress. The Israeli military advanced through rugged terrain near Nabatieh, where clashes with Hezbollah fighters have occurred. On June 1 alone, Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon killed at least 12 people and wounded 35 others.
Israel is currently occupying approximately 2,000 square kilometers of Lebanese territory, nearly one-fifth of the country's land area. Hezbollah, an Iran-backed group, joined the war by firing rockets, missiles, and drones toward a missile defense site near Haifa in northern Israel on March 2 in response to the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week ordered a deeper military operation into Lebanon, marking the farthest incursion into the northern neighbor in more than a quarter-century. On June 2, Israel issued forced evacuation orders for residents of seven villages in southern Lebanon—Houmine al-Faouqa, Bnaafoul, Arab Salim, Roumine, Aazze, Arkey, and Jbaa—requiring them to move at least 1,000 meters away from the affected area before planned attacks.
