Overview
- Israel announced on Sunday that its forces have seized the strategic Beaufort (Qalaat al Shaqif) castle and pushed ground operations north of the Litani River to expand control over southern Lebanon.
- Defense officials said troops will remain at Beaufort indefinitely and that the operation aims to destroy Hezbollah launch infrastructure and secure high ground overlooking border areas.
- Lebanese authorities condemned the move as an unprecedented escalation, called for an immediate ceasefire, and report roughly 3,300 dead, more than 10,000 wounded and over one million displaced since the fighting intensified.
- Beaufort is a roughly 900-year-old Crusader fortress that holds UNESCO provisional reinforced protection, raising concerns about damage to cultural heritage from military use of the site.
- The advance risks wider escalation by sustaining Hezbollah rocket and drone strikes into northern Israel and could complicate planned diplomatic talks and humanitarian relief efforts in the coming days.