An Israeli flag flies over the medieval Beaufort Castle, also known as Qalaat al-Shaqif or Shaqif Arnoun, in southern Lebanon on Sunday. AFP STRINGER/AFP/Getty Images

The Israeli army says it has captured the strategic Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon, marking Israel’s deepest advance into Lebanese territory in more than a quarter of a century, News.az reports, citing the Associated Press.

Beaufort Castle, a Crusader-era fortress located near the city of Nabatieh, sits on a commanding hilltop position that has long given it military significance. Its capture followed several days of airstrikes and heavy fighting in nearby villages between Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters.

According to AP, the advance represents one of Israel’s most significant battlefield gains in the current war with Hezbollah. The latest phase of the conflict began on March 2, when Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel two days after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, Hezbollah’s main regional ally.

Israeli troops are now reportedly about five kilometers from Nabatieh, one of the key cities in southern Lebanon. Israel has also declared the area between the Litani and Zahrani rivers a combat zone. Many residents have fled amid intense strikes, though some civilians remain in the area.

Israel has also urged residents to leave the Nabatieh area, as well as the city of Tyre and its surroundings. Tyre is Lebanon’s fourth-largest city and lies along the country’s southern coast.

Beaufort Castle has played a major role in previous regional wars. In 1982, its capture from the Palestine Liberation Organization became a major victory for the Israeli military under then-Defense Minister Ariel Sharon. Israeli forces later pushed farther north and occupied Beirut.

After Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon in 2000, the castle was partly restored and reopened to visitors. During the previous war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2024, UNESCO placed Beaufort among Lebanon’s cultural sites granted enhanced protection from potential destruction.

Beirut-based geopolitical analyst Joe Macaron told AP that Israel’s widening military campaign could strengthen its position ahead of expected talks with Lebanon in Washington. He said the situation had reached an “inflection point,” with Israel’s territorial gains potentially allowing it to demand tougher conditions before any withdrawal.

The offensive comes amid continued strikes across southern Lebanon. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said 13 health workers were wounded in a strike near Hiram Hospital close to Tyre. Lebanon’s state news agency also reported that a strike in the Deir al-Zahrani area, near Nabatieh, killed eight people and wounded 16 others.

Since the latest round of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah began, 3,350 people have been killed in Lebanon and more than one million have been displaced. According to the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, at least 25 Israeli soldiers and one defense contractor have been killed in and near southern Lebanon, while two civilians have been killed in northern Israel.

News.Az