Israeli troops seized Beaufort Castle and the strategic ridge surrounding it in southern Lebanon on Sunday, the Israeli military confirmed, as Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered the army to cross the Litani River and expand operations deeper into Lebanese territory. The advance came alongside the most intense Israeli air strikes on the coastal city of Sour since the war began on 2 March.
The capture of the medieval fortress, known in Arabic as Qalaat al-Shaqif and built roughly 900 years ago, extends Israel’s military footprint beyond the demarcation zone it established in April following a nominal ceasefire. The castle sits approximately 5 kilometres from the major southern Lebanese city of Nabatieh and commands elevated views over large parts of both southern Lebanon and northern Israel.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed he had ordered the army to advance past the Litani River, which Israeli forces had previously treated as a de facto operational boundary, and to take control of the Beaufort Ridge. Katz later announced that Israeli troops would remain at the castle as part of what he described as Israel’s “security zone” in Lebanon, according to Middle East Eye.
The Israeli military said ground forces had commenced “offensive operations aimed at expanding the Forward Defense Line,” adding that the “operation is currently expanding to additional areas.”
The push into the Beaufort area followed days of intense fighting and air strikes on villages across the rugged terrain surrounding the castle, where Israeli troops clashed with Hezbollah fighters.
Strikes on Sour and Mass Evacuation Orders
Sunday’s bombardment of Sour, the ancient coastal city also known as Tyre, was the heaviest the city had experienced since the conflict began, according to local media. Several buildings in the city centre were completely destroyed, causing multiple casualties. Footage from the scene showed emergency and rescue teams moving through widespread destruction. In a separate warning, the Civil Defence centre in Sour received a phone call from the Israeli army telling personnel to vacate their headquarters.
The Israeli military also issued a sweeping new expulsion order on Sunday covering all areas south of the Zahrani River and north of the Litani River — a zone extending roughly 40 kilometres from the Israeli border.
Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee posted the warning on social media. “Anyone present near Hezbollah elements, facilities, or combat means endangers their life,” Adraee wrote. “Any building used by Hezbollah for military purposes may become subject to targeting.”
Casualties and Hezbollah’s Response
At least 16 people were killed and 34 wounded in Israeli strikes on Saturday alone, according to the Lebanese health ministry. Since the war began on 2 March, the ministry recorded 3,371 deaths and 10,129 wounded across Lebanon.
The Israeli military reported that more than 25 projectiles were fired from Lebanon into Israel on Saturday. Air raid sirens sounded in the northern Israeli cities of Karmiel and Safad for the first time since the ceasefire was announced, according to the Israeli Home Front Command. The army also confirmed on Sunday that a soldier had been killed the previous day by a Hezbollah explosive drone strike, bringing the number of Israeli troops killed in Lebanon since early March to 25.
Hezbollah said it launched multiple attacks into northern Israel on Saturday and was engaged in active clashes with Israeli soldiers in several areas of southern Lebanon. The group said it was confronting Israeli forces around the outskirts of Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, Yohmor al-Shaqif, and Dibbine, and stated that Israeli troops “had not yet succeeded in taking control of the towns.”
According to a report by Israeli public broadcaster Kan, Hezbollah’s drone capabilities are limiting 80 percent of Israeli military assaults in southern Lebanon — a significant operational constraint on Israeli ground forces.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich this week called for Israel to “destroy one hundred buildings” in Lebanon for every drone that strikes an Israeli soldier.
Regional and Diplomatic Impact
The seizure of Beaufort Castle and the expansion beyond the Litani River marks a substantial escalation of Israel’s ground campaign in Lebanon. The castle holds historical weight beyond its military value: Israeli forces captured it during their 1982 invasion and held it for 18 years before withdrawing from Lebanon in 2000. Its recapture signals a willingness to hold territory that Israel previously relinquished.
The new expulsion order covering the zone between the Zahrani and Litani rivers will affect civilian populations across a wide band of southern Lebanon, compounding displacement that has continued since March.
Military delegations from Israel and Lebanon held security talks in Washington on Friday, with further US-brokered negotiations scheduled for the following week. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam acknowledged that the outcome of those talks was uncertain. “Not guaranteed,” he said, describing the negotiations as “the least costly path for our country and our people.”
Background
Israel launched its current military campaign in Lebanon on 2 March. A nominal ceasefire was established, after which Israel drew a demarcation zone referred to as the “Yellow Line” in April. That line has since been progressively extended. Beaufort Castle, positioned on a commanding ridge in the Nabatieh district, has long been considered one of the most strategically significant high points in southern Lebanon due to the wide sightlines it offers over the region. Hezbollah has operated in southern Lebanon for decades and has engaged Israeli forces in two previous major conflicts, in 2000 and 2006. The Litani River, which runs roughly 30 kilometres north of the Israeli border, has historically served as an informal ceiling for Israeli ground operations inside Lebanon.
What Happens Next
US-brokered security negotiations between Israeli and Lebanese military delegations are scheduled to continue the week of 2 June in Washington, according to Middle East Eye. Israeli forces are set to consolidate their hold over the Beaufort Ridge as part of a declared security zone, with Defence Minister Katz confirming troops will remain there. The Israeli military stated that ground operations are still expanding into additional areas beyond the positions already taken. Lebanon’s prime minister has said the diplomatic track remains open but offered no guarantee of a resolution.
