Israel on Sunday captured the historic Beaufort Castle , after deepening its invasion of south Lebanon and advancing futher beyond the “Yellow Line” buffer zone it had previously occupied.
The castle, known in Arabic as Qalaat al-Shaqif, occupies a strategic vantage point overlooking most of southern Lebanon as well as northern Israel. In addition to being a medieval heritage site, it has contemporary strategic significance.
The Israeli military said the operation was focused on establishing control of the Beaufort Ridge and the Wadi al-Saluki area, while destroying Hezbollah infrastructure.
The Israeli flag was raised over the castle, while Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said that was “a clear message to our enemies: those who threaten Israel’s citizens will gradually lose their strategic positions.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, called the capture of the castle a “dramatic stage and a dramatic shift in the policy we are leading”. France meanwhile requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council in response to an issue.
The Israeli seizure of the castle came despite a security meeting between Israeli and Lebanese military delegations in Washington on Friday, the first one of its kind.
The Israeli army also announced on Sunday that a 21-year-old sergeant had been killed by an explosive drone launched by Hezbollah on Saturday, raising the total number of Israeli fatalities in Lebanon since a US-brokered “ceasefire” came into effect on April 16 to 13.
Hezbollah also launched rockets at several towns in northern Israel on Sunday including, Kiryat Shimona, Nahariyya and Safad. Medieval castle with contemporary strategic depth The Israeli capture of Beaufort Castle, which was built in the 12th century by the Crusaders, comes at a time when the Lebanese government has been trying to protect archaeological sites in south Lebanon amid what it describes as systematic Israeli destruction of heritage.
It submitted a memorandum regarding this to UNESCO on Friday after Israel had bombed the castle on Tuesday.
Beaufort Castle was officially placed under “enhanced protection” in 2024 under the 1999 Second Protocol to the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.
Israeli forces previously used the castle as a base when they occupied south Lebanon between 1982 and 2000. It was heavily damaged in fighting during this time.
It stands more than 700 metres above sea level near the town of Arnoun and overlooks the Litani River, the Marjayoun Plain, Nabatieh, and large areas of southern Lebanon.
The municipality of Arnoun has previously condemned Israel’s targeting of the historic castle, as well as the repeated shelling of the town, he destruction of neighborhoods and infrastructure and the forced displacement of the town’s hills.
During the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982, the site was the scene of a well known battle between the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and Israeli forces that lasted several days.
Military affairs expert Brigadier General Akram Seriwi told The New Arab that the castle’s position on a steep hill, makes it impossible for a military force to approach it on foot while giving it commanding views over the entire Litani Valley.
He said that in the chain of hills around it had previously given anti-Israel forces the ability to direct fire across a wide area and control strategic routes. Diminished military advantage? Whoever controls the castle gains a military advantage, according to Seriwi, and with the Israeli capture, it can now secure its real lines.
He described the fortress as ancient and heavily fortified, capable of enabling defenders to endure for long periods.
However, he said it appeared Hezbollah had not been present there this time because no battle occurred and Israeli forces entered without resistance.
On the other hand Seriwi said that Hezbollah’s recent use of drones had somewhat reduced the strategic value of controlling the castle and other hilltop fortifications.
He added that Israeli officials themselves have acknowledged the difficulty of countering drones, which do not require direct line-of-sight engagement and can travel distances of up to 30 kilometers.
While anti-tank missiles and direct-fire weapons rely heavily on observation from strategic positions, drone operators can identify targets through onboard cameras and control drones from concealed locations elsewhere.