Overview
- Israeli forces entered and raised their flag at Beaufort Castle on Sunday, marking the deepest ground advance north of the Litani River since Israel withdrew in 2000.
- The IDF says it now controls the fortress but fighting continues around the ridge as the military expands operations against Hezbollah positions north of the Litani.
- A Hezbollah drone attack on Monday killed Staff Sgt. Adam Tzarfati near the Beaufort area and wounded other Israeli soldiers, underscoring the ongoing threat from precision drones.
- Local reports and social media footage say the castle was struck in late May, raising alarms about damage to the 900-year-old UNESCO-listed site and to other cultural sites and civilian areas in southern Lebanon.
- The move has widened diplomatic fallout by prompting Iran to pause indirect talks with Washington, drawing condemnations from Western leaders, and renewing fears among analysts of a prolonged, costly quagmire like Israel’s 1982–2000 occupation.