BEIRUT – Israeli troops have captured a strategic mountain topped with a Crusader-built castle in southern Lebanon in the deepest incursion of the country in more than a quarter-century, the military said Sunday.
The capture of Beaufort castle, near the city of Nabatiyeh, came after days of airstrikes and intense fighting in nearby villages where Israeli troops fought Hezbollah members in the rugged area.
kAmxED 42AEFC6 >2C2;@C 56G6=@A>6?E ๐ E96 =2E6DE xDC26=w6K3@==29 H2C[ H9:49 3682? @? |2C49 a H96? w6K3@==29 7:C65 C@4<6ED :?E@ ?@CE96C? xDC26= EH@ 52JD 27E6C E96 &]$] 2?5 xDC26= 2EE24<65 :ED >2:? 324<6C[ xC2?]k^Am
kAmxDC26= 92D D:?46 =2F?4965 2 8C@F?5 :?G2D:@?[ 42AEFC:?8 5@K6?D @7 {632?6D6 G:==286D 2?5 E@H?D 4=@D6 E@ E96 3@C56C] w6K3@==29 92D =2F?4965 E9@FD2?5D @7 >:DD:=6D 2?5 5C@?6D 2E xDC26=: D@=5:6CD ๐ D@FE96C? {632?@? 2?5 ?@CE96C? xDC26=]k^Am
kAm%96 xDC26=: AFD9 42>6 56DA:E6 2 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^=632?@?:DC26=96K3@==29FDE2=:?2= 462D67:C6k^2m E92E 92D 366? ๐ A=246 D:?46 pAC:= `f 2?5 ;FDE 52JD 367@C6 E96 ?6IE C@F?5 @7 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^=632?@?:DC26=?68@E:2E:@?D96K3@==29CF3:@H2D9:?8E@?gg7d`ab3747c4__ead6hg62`c2`e667hQm5:C64E E2=6?E @? yF?6 a 2?5 b 36EH66? {632?@? 2?5 xDC26=]k^Am
k9bmkDEC@?8mw:DE@C:4 2?5 DEC2E68:4 7@CEC6DDk^DEC@?8mk^9bm
kAm%96 xDC26=: >:=:E2CJVD pC23:4 DA@<6DA6CD@?[ pG:492J p5C266[ A@DE65 2 A9@E@8C2A9 @? ) D9@H:?8 xDC26=: EC@@AD H2=<:?8 @FED:56 E96 42DE=6[ 2?5 s676?D6 |:?:DE6C xDC26= z2EK HC@E6 @? ) E92E E96J 925 C2:D65 2? xDC26=: 7=28 @G6C E96 42DE=6] xDC26=: EC@@AD AC6G:@FD=J 42AEFC65 E96 42DE=6 ๐ `hga 2?5 96=5 :E F?E:= E96J H:E95C6H 7C@> {632?@? ๐ a___]k^Am
kAm%96 q62F7@CE 7@CEC6DD[ A6C4965 9:89 2E@A {632?@?'D C@==:?8 8C66? 9:==D 2?5 @G6C=@@<:?8 E96 {:E2?: #:G6C[ 92D 366? 2 DEC2E68:4 >:=:E2CJ 2DD6E 7@C >2?J 2C>:6D @G6C 2=>@DE `[___ J62CD]k^Am
kAmqF:=E 2D 2 rCFD256C 42DE=6 2C@F?5 E96 `aE9 46?EFCJ @? E@A @7 AC6G:@FD 7@CE:7:42E:@?D[ :E 92D 366? FD65 3J E96 rCFD256CD[ $2=25:?'D y6CFD2=6> 2C>J[ |2>=F<6D[ ~EE@>2?D[ E96 uC6?49 >2?52E6[ E96 !2=6DE:?:2? {:36C2E:@? ~C82?:K2E:@? 2?5 E96 xDC26=: >:=:E2CJ F?E:= a___[ H96? :E H2D A2CE:2==J C6DE@C65 2?5 @A6?65 E@ G:D:E@CD] %96 rCFD256CD ?2>65 :E q62F7@CE H9:49 ๐ ~=5 uC6?49 7@C “362FE:7F= 7@CEC6DD]â€k^Am
kAm%96 `hga 42AEFC6 @7 E96 42DE=6 7C@> E96 !2=6DE:?6 {:36C2E:@? ~C82?:K2E:@? H2D 2 >2;@C G:4E@CJ 7@C E96 xDC26=: >:=:E2CJ E92E H2D =65 2E E96 E:>6 3J s676?D6 |:?:DE6C pC:6= $92C@?[ H9@ =2E6C 3642>6 E96 4@F?ECJVD AC:>6 >:?:DE6C] pE E96 E:>6[ E96 xDC26=: 2C>J AFD965 2== E96 H2J ?@CE9 2?5 @44FA:65 q6:CFE]k^Am
kAmsFC:?8 E96 AC6G:@FD xDC26=w6K3@==29 H2C ๐ a_ac[ &}t$r~ 82G6 6?92?465 AC@E64E:@? E@ bc 4F=EFC2= D:E6D ๐ {632?@? :?4=F5:?8 q62F7@CE r2DE=6 E@ D2768F2C5 :E 7C@> 52>286]k^Am
kAm%96 42DE=6 :D 2 76H <:=@>6E6CD ?@CE9 @7 E96 xDC26= 3@C56C 2?5 @G6C=@@:523=6 C@4
kAm%96 xDC26=: >:=:E2CJ D2:5 ๐ 2 DE2E6>6?E E92E :E =2F?4965 2? @A6C2E:@? 2 76H 52JD 28@ ๐ E96 q62F7@CE #:586 2?5 E96 $F=F<: G2==6J 7FCE96C D@FE9 H:E9 E96 2:> @7 5:D>2?E=:?8 w6K3@==29 :?7C2DECF4EFC6 2?5 C6>@G:?8 5:C64E E9C62ED E@ xDC26=: 4:G:=:2?D]k^Am
kAm%96 DE2E6>6?E D2:5 E96 2C>J ๐ C625J “E@ 6IA2?5 E96 @A6C2E:@? :7 ?66565]â€k^Am
kAmq62F7@CE ๐ DJ>3@=:4 24C@DD E96 C68:@?[ :?4=F5:?8 ๐ xDC26=[ H96C6 :E H2D @?6 @7 E96 >@DE H6==@H? A=246D xDC26= 4@?EC@==65 5FC:?8 E96 `g J62C @44FA2E:@?] ~?6 @7 xDC26=VD >@DE H6==@H? H2C 7:=>D[ “q62F7@CE[†6IA=@C6D E96 >@C2= BF6DE:@?D 2?5 C6D6CG2E:@?D 2?5 E96 7FE:=:EJ @7 H2C[ ๐ E96 =2DE 52JD 367@C6 E96 >:=:E2CJ H:E95C6H]k^Am
k9bmkDEC@?8mxDC26= 6IA2?5D :?G2D:@? ๐ {632?@?k^DEC@?8mk^9bm
kAmx? C646?E 52JD[ xDC26= 92D 6IA2?565 E96 D4@A6 @7 :ED @A6C2E:@?D ๐ {632?@?[ D6?5:?8 EC@@AD 24C@DD E96 {:E2?: #:G6C[ H9:49 AC6G:@FD=J D6CG65 2D 2 56724E@ 3@F?52CJ[ 2?5 56>2?5:?8 E92E C6D:56?ED =62G6 >F49 @7 D@FE96C? {632?@?]k^Am
kAmxDC26= 92D 56D:8?2E65 E96 2C62 7C@> E96 {:E2?: FA E@ E96 +29C2?: #:G6C 2 4@>32E K@?6] $@>6 C6D:56?ED 92G6 2=C625J =67E E96 2C62 5F6 E@ E96 :?E6?D6 DEC:<6D ๐ C646?E 52JD[ 3FE A6@A=6 C6>2:? ๐ >2?J @7 E96 2C62'D E@H?D]k^Am
kAmxDC26=: EC@@AD 92G6 366? 25G2?4:?8 7@C 52JD ๐ G:==286D 4=@D6 E@ q62F7@CE 42DE=6] %96J 2C6 ?@H 23@FE d <:=@>6E6CD Wb >:=6DX 7C@> E96 4:EJ @7 }232E:J69[ 2 >2;@C 46?E6C ๐ D@FE96C? {632?@?[ 2?5 92G6 42==65 @? 2== :ED C6D:56?ED E@ =62G6[ 2D H6== 2D E96 C6D:56?ED @7 E96 4@2DE2= 4:EJ @7 %JC6[ E96 4@F?ECJ'D 7@FCE9 =2C86DE 4:EJ[ 2?5 :ED DFCC@F?5:?8D]k^Am
kAm%96C6 H2D ?@ :>>65:2E6 4@>>6?E 7C@> w6K3@==29 @C E96 {632?6D6 8@G6C?>6?E @? E96 xDC26=: AFD9]k^Am
k9bmkDEC@?8mtI492?86D @7 7:C6 24C@DD E96 3@C56C 4@?E:?F6k^DEC@?8mk^9bm
kAmw6K3@==29 @G6C?:89E 4=2:>65 EH@ 2EE24
kAm{632?@?VD DE2E6CF? }2E:@?2= }6HD p86?4J C6A@CE65 2:CDEC:<6D @? 5:776C6?E G:==286D ๐ D@FE96C? {632?@?[ D2J:?8 E96J :?7=:4E65 42DF2=E:6D H:E9@FE 8:G:?8 2 3C62<5@H?] w6K3@==29 @? $2EFC52J 7:C65 D2=G@D @7 C@4<6ED :?E@ ?@CE96C? xDC26=[ :?4=F5:?8 z:CJ2E $9>@?2[ E96 =2C86DE 4:EJ ๐ E96 2C62]k^Am
kAmw6K3@==29VD FD6 @7 92C5E@56E64E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^96K3@==29:DC26=5C@?6D7:36C@AE:4H2C__45_fgda7ch256_c65_2e756d_d5hgfQm7:36C @AE:4 5C@?6Dk^2m 92D 366? 5625=J 7@C E96 xDC26=: >:=:E2CJ[ H9:49 ๐ DECF88=:?8 E@ C6DA@?5] %96C6 92G6 366? ?62C=J a__ 2=6CED 7@C xDC26=: 4:G:=:2?D 24C@DD ?@CE96C? xDC26= H2C?:?8 @7 5C@?6D 2?5 >:DD:=6D ๐ E96 A2DE ac 9@FCD[ 244@C5:?8 E@ xDC26=VD >:=:E2CJ]k^Am
kAm%96 =2E6DE C@F?5 @7 7:89E:?8 36EH66? xDC26= 2?5 w6K3@==29 92D <:==65 b[bd_ A6@A=6 ๐ {632?@? 2?5 5:DA=2465 >@C6 E92? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^=632?@?5:DA=2465H2C96K3@==29:DC26=36:CFEc7“aef7cb55275g2_3234534c`4b76dQm` >:==:@? A6@A=6k^2m]k^Am
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ xDC26=: !C:>6 |:?:DE6C q6?;2>:? }6E2?J29F'D @77:46[ 2E =62DE ad xDC26=: D@=5:6CD 2?5 2 5676?D6 4@?EC24E@C 92G6 366? <:==65 ๐ @C ?62C D@FE96C? {632?@?[ :?4=F5:?8 @?6 @? $2EFC52J] %H@ 4:G:=:2?D 92G6 2=D@ 366? <:==65 ๐ ?@CE96C? xDC26=]k^Am
k9C ^m
kAm{:5>2? C6A@CE65 7C@> %6= pG:G[ xDC26=]k^Am
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
