Israel Captures Beaufort Castle in Deepest Lebanon Incursion in 25 Years
Israeli troops have captured the strategically important Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon after heavy clashes with Hezbollah, completing the deepest Israeli incursion into Lebanese territory in over 25 years. Israeli forces are now deeper inside Lebanon than they have been since 1982 despite a US-brokered ceasefire. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered troops to move further into Lebanon in the battle against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement. The push directly complicates the proposed Iran framework deal that Iran insists must cover Lebanon; the United States and Israel say it does not.
Beaufort Castle — a Crusader-era fortress dominating the Litani River valley — was the centrepiece of Israeli ground operations in the 1982 Lebanon War and was held by Israel through the early years of the occupation. Its recapture in 2026 represents the operational completion of the ground-control objective Israeli Northern Command set after the September 2024 Hezbollah leadership decapitation operation. Hezbollah said it had fired multiple rockets and drones at northern Israel on Saturday afternoon; clashes have been reported near Ghandoureh and Wadi Houjeir over the past 48 hours. The Israeli ground push is now beyond the line that the Pentagon Israel-Lebanon talks on Friday were trying to formalise; it is unclear whether Israel will withdraw to the line discussed at the Pentagon if a deal is reached. Israeli Northern Command sources told the Jerusalem Post they fear a US-Iran ceasefire could freeze IDF operational latitude in Lebanon — the rapid territorial consolidation appears designed to prevent any agreement freezing positions short of full Israeli operational depth.