Netanyahu calls capture of Beaufort Castle a 'dramatic shift' in Lebanon offensive

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to push deeper into Lebanon after his military seized Beaufort Castle on Sunday, calling the capture a "dramatic shift" in the campaign against Hezbollah. The move came as Israel expanded its ground operations and issued sweeping evacuation orders across southern Lebanon.

What is Beaufort Castle and why did Israel seize it?

Beaufort Castle, also known as Qalaat al-Chakif, is a medieval fortress in southern Lebanon that commands sweeping views of the surrounding region. Israeli forces used it as a military base during their previous occupation of southern Lebanon, which ended in 2000. Seizing it again signals a significant expansion of Israel's ground offensive against Hezbollah.

What did Netanyahu say about the Beaufort Castle capture?

In a video statement released hours after troops took the castle, Netanyahu said: "We have returned united, determined and stronger than ever." He said his directive was to deepen and expand Israel's hold over areas previously controlled by Hezbollah. "The capture of Beaufort is a dramatic stage and a dramatic shift in the policy we are leading," he said.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz marked the occasion by referencing the 1982 First Lebanon War. "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," he wrote on social media. An AFP correspondent saw the Israeli flag flying above the castle, with shelling audible and smoke rising from the surrounding area.

How has the conflict in Lebanon escalated in recent weeks?

Lebanon was drawn into the broader Middle East conflict on March 2, when Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran's supreme leader. A ceasefire agreed on April 17 has never held, with both sides accusing each other daily of violations. Hezbollah said on Sunday it targeted Israeli army positions and infrastructure in Shlomi and Nahariya in northern Israel, while air raid sirens sounded in the Acre area.

The Israeli military issued a sweeping evacuation order covering areas south of the Zahrani River, north of the Litani and roughly 40 kilometers from the border. It said it was targeting Hezbollah infrastructure in Tyre and several additional areas of southern Lebanon. An Israeli strike near a hospital in Tyre wounded 13 staff, according to Lebanon's health ministry.

What has the humanitarian toll been since fighting began?

The Lebanese health ministry says Israeli attacks have killed more than 3,371 people since early March. The Israeli army said one of its soldiers was killed the previous day by a Hezbollah explosive drone, bringing the total number of Israeli military deaths in Lebanon since early March to 25. In a shelter for displaced people in Sidon, southern Lebanon's largest city, residents described fear and destruction.

"It is impossible for us to return to our home, because the city is in great destruction," said Zeinab Fakih, displaced from Nabatieh. Another displaced resident, Issa Tfaily, said: "We will return. If not today, then tomorrow, as long as there is resistance."

How are international powers responding to Israel's Lebanon offensive?

France said on Sunday it had requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, citing alarm at Israel's "ever-deeper occupation of Lebanese territory." French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said nothing could justify the continuation of Israeli military operations in Lebanon. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam had accused Israel on Saturday of pursuing a "scorched-earth policy and collective punishment" in the south.

Military delegations from Lebanon and Israel held security talks in Washington on Friday, with further US-brokered negotiations planned for the following week.