Israel Seizes Beaufort Castle, Expands Lebanon Ground Operations
Cover image from al-monitor.com, which was analyzed for this article
Israeli forces seized a medieval castle and crossed the Litani River in a push against Hezbollah, issuing new displacement orders in southern Lebanon.
PoliticalOS
Sunday, May 31, 2026 — Politics
Israeli ground forces have advanced past the Litani River and seized a historic ridge despite an April ceasefire that both sides say has been violated daily. The expansion has triggered new evacuation orders affecting civilians and drawn diplomatic criticism while Hezbollah continues rocket and drone attacks.
What outlets missed
The Reuters dispatch carried by Al-Monitor omitted any mention of the Israeli flag-raising or Defense Minister Katz's historical reference to the 1982 Battle of Beaufort. AFP versions across Newsmax and Al-Monitor did not include French Foreign Minister Barrot's call for a UN Security Council session or Netanyahu's statement on operating across Syria, Gaza and Lebanon. No outlet independently verified the precise number of Hezbollah projectiles fired on Saturday or the exact locations of new Israeli positions beyond the castle and Litani crossing. The Al Jazeera report did not note Hezbollah's stated opposition to the Washington talks.
Israeli forces captured the medieval Beaufort Castle and crossed the Litani River while issuing evacuation orders for areas south of the Zahrani River in southern Lebanon. The moves target Hezbollah positions and follow repeated ceasefire violations since the April 17 truce took effect.
The Israeli military stated that troops raised the national flag over the castle on Sunday after seizing the ridge, which overlooks much of southern Lebanon. Defense Minister Israel Katz said the capture restores control of a site used by Israeli forces from 1982 to 2000 and strengthens defenses for communities in northern Israel. The operation also reached the Wadi al-Saluki area and positions near Nabatieh.
Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee warned residents near Hezbollah facilities that any building used for military purposes could be targeted. The orders affect territory roughly 40 kilometers from the border. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam described the policy as scorched earth and collective punishment, urging an end to the fighting.
One Israeli soldier was killed by a Hezbollah drone on Saturday, bringing the total to 25 military deaths in Lebanon since early March, according to the Israeli army. The Lebanese health ministry reports that Israeli attacks have killed more than 3,371 people since March 2. Hezbollah said it launched attacks on northern Israeli positions including Shlomi and Nahariya and clashed with Israeli troops near Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, Yohmor al-Shaqif and Dibbine.
The Israeli military reported more than 25 projectiles fired from Lebanon on Saturday, with sirens sounding in Karmiel and Safed. Military delegations from Israel and Lebanon met in Washington on Friday; further U.S.-brokered talks are scheduled for next week. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot called for a UN Security Council meeting and said the operations cannot be justified.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Beaufort capture marks a shift toward initiative on multiple fronts. Hezbollah opposes the direct talks. Both sides continue to accuse each other of breaching the nominal ceasefire.
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