Israel seizes Crusades-era fortress in Lebanon as it expands ground offensive
The military has issued an evacuation warning for areas south of Zaharani in a bid to expand a buffer zone in southern Lebanon.
Israeli forces have captured a strategically important Crusaders-era fortress in Lebanon, marking its deepest incursion into the country in more than a quarter of a century.
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Beaufort Castle is perched on cliffs high above the Litani River near the city of Nabatiyeh and has been a strategic military asset for armies over the last 900 years.
Built as a Crusader castle in the 12th century, it has been used by Saladin's Jerusalem army, the Ottomans, the Palestinian Liberation Organisation and the Israeli military.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the "heroic fighters" behind the capture of the castle on Sunday, which follows days of airstrikes and intense fighting in nearby villages as Israeli troops battled Hezbollah fighters.
Israel Defence Forces (IDF) soldiers raised the Israeli flag on top of the fortress, with Israeli defence minister Israel Katz declaring that the country would hold the strategic point.
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This latest advance comes after Mr Netanyahu ordered troops to move further into Lebanon.
Saturday saw one of the heaviest days of Hezbollah fire toward northern Israel since a ceasefire was announced six weeks ago, prompting school closures and restrictions.
"I instructed the (military) to expand its ground manoeuvre in Lebanon," the Israeli Prime Minister said in a statement.
The military issued an evacuation warning on Sunday for residents south of Zaharani. Eight people were killed when overnight airstrikes Saturday hit the southern village of Deir El Zahrani, Lebanon's state news agency said.
Throughout Sunday, the Israeli military conducted more than 40 strikes across southern Lebanon, according to Lebanese security sources and state news.
The Israeli military already controls territory up to the Litani River in Lebanon, but is pushing to the Zaharani River, around 10 km north.
Netanyahu said he aims to "deepen and expand our grip on the places that were under Hezbollah's control".
Naftali Bennett, a challenger to Netanyahu in an upcoming election, said he seeks stronger action in Lebanon, including strikes on the suburbs of Beirut.
Throughout Sunday, the Israeli military conducted more than 40 strikes across southern Lebanon, according to Lebanese security sources and state news.
The fighting in Lebanon has been the broadest spillover of the Iran war, displacing more than 1.2 million Lebanese through Israeli strikes and evacuation orders since March 2, when Hezbollah began firing rockets and drones into Israel to back its ally Iran.
The incursion has so far killed more than 3,370 people, according to the Lebanese government. Israel says 24 of its soldiers and four civilians have been killed over the same period.
Tens of thousands of Israelis in the north of the country have also been displaced by Hezbollah rockets and drones.
The capture of Beaufort Castle has granted Israeli troops a vantage point over much of southern Lebanon and northern Israel, from which attacks have been launched towards Israeli residential areas.
It was the first time Israel had held the site since May 2000, when Israel withdrew its troops from southern Lebanon after 18 years.
Mr Katz said soldiers will retain Beaufort as part of Israel's security zone in southern Lebanon.
"The campaign is not over yet," he said. "We are all determined to crush Hezbollah's power."
Katz circulated a photo on social media of the castle with the Israeli flag flying, and also the military's Golani brigade.
The latest operation, the military said, was focused on establishing control of the Beaufort Ridge and the Wadi al-Saluki area, while degrading the capabilities of Hezbollah’s militants and its infrastructure on the ridge established under Iranian direction.
It marks a major development in the latest Israel-Hezbollah war, which began on 2 March when Hezbollah fired on northern Israel two days after the US and Israel attacked Iran.