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Beaufort seized, operations expand
The Israeli army announced on Sunday, May 31, that it had taken control of Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon, as ground operations against Hezbollah continued.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the seizure as a "spectacular step," marking "a decisive turning point," and said, "My instructions are to deepen and broaden our control of the places that were under Hezbollah's control."
The advance was accompanied by intensified Israeli airstrikes and ground operations in southern Lebanon despite a ceasefire that was "theoretically in effect since April 17, which was never observed," according to Le HuffPost.
The IDF said its troops entered the Beaufort Ridge and Wadi Saluki area in southern Lebanon, and it said the offensive was aimed at dismantling Hezbollah's military infrastructure and eliminating militants to remove what it described as direct threats to communities in the Galilee Panhandle and the northern Israeli border town of Metula.
In parallel, Le HuffPost reported that Israel ordered the population to evacuate a large area of southern Lebanon between its border and the Zahrani River, about forty kilometers further north, and then announced strikes against Hezbollah infrastructure in Tyre and several other areas in the south.
Reactions and disputed framing
Le HuffPost said Israel’s campaign was presented as necessary to "crush" Hezbollah, and it quoted Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warning, "The campaign is not over yet."
The BBC framed the seizure through the question "Why did Israel seize Beaufort Castle in Lebanon?" and reported that Netanyahu said, "We have crossed the barrier of fear."
The BBC also reported that Britain, France, and Germany criticized Israel's latest escalation, while the Israel Defense Forces warned more residents to evacuate a larger portion of southern Lebanon.
Lebanon’s prime minister accused Israel of collective punishment, and the BBC said the Lebanese daily notes that Beaufort Castle had been used by the Israeli army as a base during their occupation of southern Lebanon, which lasted two decades before ending in 2000.
In the same BBC account, Dr. Lina Khatib of Chatham House said the reconquest of Beaufort by Israel is primarily aimed at striking at the morale of Hezbollah and its supporters, adding that the capture shows Hezbollah is unable to prevent Israel from expanding its occupation of Lebanese territory.
What comes next, and what’s at risk
As Israel expanded operations beyond the Litani-line demarcation, Le HuffPost reported that it announced strikes against Hezbollah infrastructure in Tyre and several other areas in the south, and it said the Health Ministry reported that thirteen workers were injured in an Israeli strike near a hospital in Tyre.
Le Devoir reported that Israel ordered on Monday for its army to strike the southern suburb of Beirut, Hezbollah's pro-Iranian stronghold, and it said AFP journalists saw hundreds of families leaving the southern suburb on foot, by motorcycle or in cars loaded with pillows and bags.
In that same report, Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered the IDF to strike terrorist targets in the southern Beirut suburb, and the official statement cited the claim that it was in response to "repeated violations of the ceasefire in Lebanon by the terrorist organization Hezbollah" and attacks against "our cities and our citizens."
Le Monde.fr described Beaufort’s capture as a strategic asset but a historical burden for the Israeli army, noting that the fortress overlooks the Litani River and that it was built by the Crusaders in the 12th century at a height of 700 meters.
The BBC added that since 2024, Beaufort has been one of the archaeological and heritage sites under the enhanced protection of the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, while the BBC also reported that Arnoun's local authorities have denounced recent strikes on the site.
