JERUSALEM (Horn post) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces have captured the strategic Beaufort Castle area in southern Lebanon as part of an expanded military offensive against Hezbollah.
In a statement released Saturday, Netanyahu said Israeli troops raised both the Israeli national flag and the Golani Brigade flag at the site, describing the operation as a significant milestone in Israel’s ongoing campaign along the northern border.
The Israeli prime minister said the military operation marked a shift in Israeli strategy and confirmed that he had instructed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to deepen and expand operations inside Lebanon.
“Our forces crossed the Litani River, seized dominant terrain and captured the Beaufort ridge,” Netanyahu said. “Now the instruction is to deepen and expand our hold on areas that were previously under Hezbollah control.”
Netanyahu described the capture of Beaufort Castle as both symbolic and strategic, referencing a major Israeli military battle at the site during the 1982 Lebanon War.
He said Israeli forces have killed thousands of Hezbollah fighters since the start of what he referred to as the “War of Redemption,” including hundreds during the past month alone.
The Israeli leader also said the military is establishing security zones beyond Israel’s borders in Lebanon, Gaza and Syria in an effort to protect Israeli communities from cross-border attacks.
Netanyahu said he recently met with Israeli brigade commanders operating along the northern front, who told him Hezbollah fighters were retreating under Israeli military pressure.
“It will take more time, but we will restore security to the residents of the north, just as we did for the residents of the south,” Netanyahu said.
The remarks come amid escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, with fighting along the Israel-Lebanon border intensifying in recent months and raising concerns over a broader regional conflict.
Prepared by:
Horn post staff
