Overview
- The Israeli army announced large detonations near Beaufort on Friday, July 31, saying roughly 700 tonnes of explosives were used to destroy an extensive tunnel system beneath the site.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz framed the operation as retaliation for an alleged Hezbollah drone strike on an Israeli military vehicle earlier in the week.
- Israeli officials have said the tunnels were built to shelter hundreds of fighters and were financed by Iran, which the military presented as the central justification for the demolition.
- Lebanese state media reported very strong explosions that were heard across southern Lebanon and local residents said windows were shattered in towns such as Nabatieh, while Lebanon’s culture minister warned the fortress could be damaged.
- The strikes add to tensions under a fragile ceasefire that Hezbollah has not formally accepted and are likely to increase international scrutiny and diplomatic pressure because UNESCO listed Beaufort as a World Heritage site last week.