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Israel seizes strategic castle as it expands invasion of south Lebanon

Israel seizes strategic castle as it expands invasion of south Lebanon MEE staff on Sun, 05/31/2026 - 09:44 Israeli army issues new sweeping expulsion order for areas south of Zahrani River, 40km from border Israeli soldiers operate at Beaufort Ridge in southern Lebanon in this handout image released on 31 May 2026 (Israeli military/Handout via Reuters) Off Israeli troops have captured the 900-year-old Beaufort Castle and the strategic ridge surrounding it in southern Lebanon, the military said on Sunday, as it expands its ground offensive despite a nominal ceasefire. The capture of the medieval castle and ridge deepens Israeli footprint in the country beyond the demarcation zone known as the "Yellow Line", which it established in April following the ceasefire. It comes after days of intense fighting and air strikes in nearby villages, where Israeli troops fought Hezbollah members in the rugged area. Beaufort Castle, known in Arabic as Qalaat al-Shaqif, is a strategic vantage point overlooking large parts of southern Lebanon and northern Israel. It is located about 5km from the major southern city of Nabatieh. Israeli troops previously captured the castle in 1982 and held it until they withdrew from Lebanon in 2000. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said he had ordered the army to expand its operations in Lebanon, cross the Litani River, which the Israeli military had previously used as a de facto boundary, and capture the Beaufort Ridge. Katz later announced that Israeli troops would remain at the castle as part of Israel's "security zone" in Lebanon. The latest advance came as the Israeli military issued a new mass expulsion order covering areas south of the Zahrani River and north of the Litani River, extending to roughly 40km from the border. "Anyone present near Hezbollah elements, facilities, or combat means endangers their life. Any building used by Hezbollah for military purposes may become subject to targeting," Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee wrote in a social media post. ‘We were left alone’: Along Israel's ‘Yellow Line’, Lebanese feel abandoned by the state Read More » "A significant number of ground soldiers commenced offensive operations aimed at expanding the Forward Defense Line... The operation is currently expanding to additional areas," the Israeli military said. At least 16 people were killed and 34 wounded in Israeli strikes on Saturday, bringing the death toll in Lebanon to 3,371 and the number of wounded to 10,129 since the war started on 2 March, according to the Lebanese health ministry. Meanwhile, Hezbollah launched multiple attacks targeting northern Israel on Saturday and clashed with Israeli soldiers occupying southern Lebanon. The group said it was confronting Israeli forces around the outskirts of the towns of Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, Yohmor al-Shaqif and Dibbine, adding that the troops "had not yet succeeded in taking control of the towns". The Israeli military said more than 25 projectiles were fired from Lebanon into Israel on Saturday. At the same time, air raid sirens sounded in the northern cities of Karmiel and Safad for the first time since the ceasefire, according to the Home Front Command. It also said on Sunday that a soldier was killed the previous day by a Hezbollah explosive drone attack, bringing the number of Israeli troops killed in Lebanon since early March to 25. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich this week called for Israel to "destroy one hundred buildings" in Lebanon for every drone that strikes a soldier. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); According to a report by Israeli public broadcaster Kan, Hezbollah’s drone capabilities are limiting 80 percent of Israeli assaults in southern Lebanon. Military delegations from both countries held security talks in Washington on Friday, with further US-brokered negotiations planned for next week. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the outcome of the negotiations was "not guaranteed", but called them "the least costly path for our country and our people". Israel's war on Lebanon News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0