Israel captured Lebanon fortress

Beirut (dpa) — The Israeli army said on Sunday that it had captured the strategically located Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon and was expanding its ground operations against the Hezbollah militia in the area.

A photo taken by a dpa reporter showed an Israeli flag being hoisted at the stronghold built by Crusaders in the 12th century.

A spokesman declined to provide details of the capture of the site, which the army described as a “symbol of Hezbollah’s arrogance.”

Israeli forces are now targeting nearby rocket launch pads being used by the Iran-backed Shiite militia in its attacks, the army said.

Badly damaged in recent shelling, the ancient fortress lies just north of the Litani River, behind which Hezbollah was supposed to withdraw under an agreement with Israel.

Situated at an altitude of 700 metres with commanding views of the surrounding area, it is near a vulnerable protrusion of Israel’s north-eastern border. Beaufort Castle was previously the scene of fighting during the around 20-year Israeli occupation until the year 2000.

“Attempt to erase history”

Israel captured Lebanon fortress

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam accused Israel of causing widespread destruction in southern Lebanon.

According to the state news agency NNA, he decried the Israeli attacks as an “attempt to erase history.” The cost of the war to the Lebanese people is immense and the country must not become a pawn in regional conflicts, Salam stressed.

An Israeli military spokesman on Sunday urged the majority of residents in southern Lebanon to move north of the Zahrani River, some 40 kilometres north of the Israeli border.

The last time such a widespread evacuation order was issued was shortly before the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon began in mid-April. The Israeli army justified the order by citing Hezbollah attacks on Israel and pledged to take decisive action against the militia in the area.

Meanwhile, sirens sounded repeatedly in northern Israel as the Israeli army reported renewed shelling from Lebanon.

According to military sources, an Israeli soldier was also killed in southern Lebanon, with media reporting that he died during a Hezbollah drone attack late on Saturday evening.

Due to Hezbollah’s drone and rocket attacks, thousands of children in several northern Israeli towns near the border with Lebanon are currently unable to attend school.