Israeli forces push deep into Lebanon, cross Litani River: A turning point on the battlefield

Israeli forces have reached the outskirts of the southern Lebanese city of Nabatieh and captured the strategic Beaufort Castle, defying a cease-fire agreement that took effect in April. Analysts warn that Israel is laying the groundwork for long-term territorial control inside Lebanon.

The advance marks the deepest Israeli incursion into Lebanon in more than a quarter of a century. Israeli forces now occupy approximately 2,000 square kilometers of Lebanese territory, roughly a fifth of the country’s land area.

Israel initially said its goal was to push Hezbollah fighters out of the area south of the Litani River, near the border. But the military has now pushed well beyond that line. The army has issued evacuation orders extending north to the Zahrani River (about 10 kilometers north of the Litani), widening its military control.

Israeli soldiers have reached the towns of Zawtar al-Sharqiyah and Chouqin on the outskirts of Nabatieh, a Hezbollah stronghold. Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that Israeli airstrikes on Deir ez-Zahrani early Sunday killed several people.

The northward push comes as Israeli and Lebanese officials continue U.S.-mediated talks aimed at a permanent end to the conflict and a plan to disarm Hezbollah. Hezbollah has criticized the talks amid ongoing Israeli attacks.

Meanwhile, a parallel, fragile cease-fire between Washington and Tehran is increasingly tied to developments on the Lebanon front. Iranian officials warn that an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon is a prerequisite for any meaningful progress in U.S.-Iran negotiations to end the broader conflict.

The importance of Nabatieh

The continued advance into southern Lebanon follows a full evacuation order for Nabatieh issued earlier this week, as well as similar orders covering the coastal city of Tyre.

“The Israeli army is operating near Nabatieh, which constitutes a significant power center of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, and is prepared to expand the offensive if necessary,” the military said on social media platform X.

Professor of International Relations Imad Salamey at the Lebanese American University said the city’s significance goes far beyond military considerations. “Nabatieh is of strategic importance not only as a military hub but also as one of the political, economic, and social centers of Lebanon’s Shia Muslim community and a key connector between southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, and Beirut,” he told Al Jazeera.

“Militarily, controlling Nabatieh would give Israel greater operational depth beyond the Litani River, enabling it to pressure Hezbollah’s command, logistics, and support networks across southern Lebanon.”

“Politically, the significance is even greater. A move toward Nabatieh shows that Israel’s objectives have evolved from the initial goal of pushing Hezbollah north of the Litani into a broader campaign to dismantle Hezbollah’s entire territorial and community infrastructure.”

Salamey added that displacing residents from Nabatieh and Tyre could weaken Hezbollah’s popular base and reshape the demographic and political landscape of southern Lebanon.

Lebanese journalist and analyst Souhayb Jawhar told Al Jazeera that Israeli forces reaching Nabatieh would mark a major turning point in the conflict. “If Israel controls it, or even besieges it, that would represent a serious shift because it moves the war from a border zone into the political and social heart of southern Lebanon.”

“This means more displacement, weakening state institutions in the south, eroding Hezbollah’s image as a force capable of protecting its constituents, and opening the door to a new security reality that may go beyond pushing back Hezbollah toward redrawing the balance of control in the south.”

The strategic value of Beaufort Castle

Further east, Israeli forces pushed north along a ridge overlooking the Litani River valley and captured Beaufort Castle, a Crusader-era fortress on a strategic hilltop. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said troops from the Golani Brigade had crossed the Litani River and taken the site.

The fortress lies about 15 kilometers from the Israeli border and overlooks large swaths of southern Lebanon. Israeli forces previously occupied the site for nearly two decades before withdrawing from Lebanon in 2000.

Salamey said capturing the fortress gives Israel both military and symbolic advantages. “Taking the Beaufort Castle high ground is important because it overlooks large areas of southern Lebanon and provides observation and fire-control advantages over the surrounding terrain.”

“Historically, this site has been associated with some of the most intense confrontations between Israel and Palestinian forces and later Hezbollah, making it both militarily useful and symbolically potent.”

The position overlooks routes linking southern Lebanon to the western Bekaa Valley and offers a sweeping view of areas around Nabatieh, giving Israeli forces better control over movement and supply lines in the region.

Evacuation orders extend beyond the Litani

Over the weekend, the Israeli military warned residents south of the Zahrani River to leave immediately. The order is significant because the Zahrani River lies north of the Litani, which Israel had previously treated as the effective limit of the area it wanted cleared of Hezbollah.

In a statement posted on X, Israeli army spokesperson Ella Waweya said the campaign aims to “destroy terrorist infrastructure and eliminate saboteurs” while increasing Israeli control in southern Lebanon. The expansion of the evacuation zone has raised questions about Israel’s long-term objectives.

“If the goal were merely to remove Hezbollah’s military presence from areas south of the Litani, operations would probably be limited to that area,” Salamey said. “Expanding military operations and evacuation demands further north may indicate an effort to establish a deeper security belt, enable prolonged territorial control, or gain leverage for future political arrangements.”

Jawhar said the expanding evacuation orders also show that Israel’s objectives have moved beyond the Litani. “This development shows that Israel is not just seeking to push Hezbollah fighters and short-range rockets away from the border but also to attack the group’s military, logistical, and command infrastructure deeper inside southern Lebanon.”

“In effect, this means the concept of a ‘security belt’ may have expanded from the Litani line into something like a deeper buffer zone extending to the Zahrani River, even if that is not yet officially declared.”

Jawhar’s assessment came as senior Israeli politicians increasingly use language hinting at a longer-term military presence. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich hailed the capture of Beaufort Castle as correcting what he called past mistakes. “I will continue to push for a permanent territorial concept and extraordinary military aggressiveness. For every explosive drone, ten buildings must collapse in Beirut. Israel must change the equation,” he said.

Implications for Lebanon

Analysts say the military escalation is also undermining the Lebanese government’s efforts to strengthen state authority and negotiate a lasting solution.

Jawhar said Israel’s actions suggest goals go well beyond the stated aim of removing Hezbollah from areas south of the Litani. “If that were the only goal, there would be little need to advance beyond the Litani or issue evacuation orders as far as the Zahrani. What is happening shows Israel seeks to destroy Hezbollah’s military network, create a devastated or depopulated area that reduces the group’s ability to operate, and impose new facts on the ground before any political or security negotiations.”

He said Israel may not be seeking a permanent occupation similar to what it maintained in southern Lebanon from 1982 to 2000, but rather a system of long-term military control through buffer zones, surveillance, and freedom of action inside Lebanese territory.

Filippo Dionigi, a professor of international relations at the University of Bristol, told Al Jazeera that Israel’s continued attacks risk weakening the Lebanese government and inadvertently strengthening Hezbollah’s influence. “If Israel were fully adhering to the cease-fire, the Lebanese government could at least argue that its negotiations are yielding results beneficial to Lebanon’s interests. But that is not happening.”

Instead, the ongoing military campaign risks reinforcing Hezbollah’s claim that armed resistance remains necessary. “Israel attacks Lebanon, weakening the legitimacy of the government and the negotiations between Lebanon and Israel. At the same time, it actually reinforces a sense of legitimacy for Hezbollah’s military action against Israel.”