Israel plants flag on medieval castle, pushes Lebanon ground operation

Israeli Forces Raise Flag at Beaufort Castle as Ground Operations Expand in Southern Lebanon

Israel's flag was raised over the medieval Beaufort castle in southern Lebanon on Sunday, coinciding with evacuation warnings issued to civilians in parts of the south ahead of expanded ground operations. Smoke was visible and shelling could be heard in the area as the flag was observed above the site, which Israeli forces had used as a base during their prior occupation of the region from 1982 to 2000.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz stated that troops had taken the position, which overlooks southern Lebanon, during the expanded operations. Lebanon's prime minister has described the actions as a "scorched earth" policy.

"Forty-four years after the heroic Battle of Beaufort, and on this day commemorating the soldiers who fell in the First Lebanon War, our troops have returned to the summit of Beaufort and once again raised the Israeli flag there," Katz posted on social media. "Under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and my direction, the IDF expanded the operations in Lebanon, crossed the Litani River, and captured the Beaufort Ridge -- one of the most important strategic points for defending the communities of the Galilee and safeguarding the security of our forces."

At a military ceremony, Katz said the campaign had resulted in "the elimination of thousands of terrorists and the seizure of hundreds of square kilometres," adding that "whoever harms Israeli civilians will lose their territory from which they operate."

The move followed an Israeli military order directing residents to leave areas south of the Zahrani River, north of the Litani and roughly 40 kilometres from the border, citing operations against Hezbollah. Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee posted that "anyone present near Hezbollah elements, facilities, or combat means endangers their life. Any building used by Hezbollah for military purposes may become subject to targeting!"

Lebanon's state news agency reported strikes near Tyre, including one close to a hospital, and on several villages. It added that civil defence personnel in the Tyre area received evacuation calls from the Israeli military.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Saturday accused Israel of a "scorched-earth policy and collective punishment," calling for an end to the fighting and stating it was "destroying towns and villages, and forcing their inhabitants into exile." Military delegations from Israel and Lebanon held talks in Washington on Friday, with further U.S.-brokered discussions scheduled for the following week. Salam described the talks as "the least costly path for our country and our people," while noting their outcome was "not guaranteed."

A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect on April 17 but has not held. Both sides have accused the other of daily violations and have cited those alleged breaches to justify their own strikes. A U.S. statement following the Friday talks did not reference the truce but described the military discussions as productive and said they would shape the next political meeting. Hezbollah has opposed the direct talks.

On Sunday, Hezbollah said it struck Israeli positions and infrastructure in Shlomi and Nahariya in northern Israel. Air raid sirens sounded in the Acre area. The Israeli military reported more than 25 projectiles fired from Lebanon toward Israel on Saturday, with sirens activated in Karmiel and Safed for the first time since the ceasefire. Public broadcaster Kan showed footage of rockets landing in the sea near Nahariya, prompting beachgoers to move away.

The Israeli army stated that one soldier was killed on Saturday by a Hezbollah drone, bringing its total military deaths in Lebanon since early March to 25. Lebanon's health ministry has reported more than 3,371 deaths from Israeli attacks since March 2.