Israeli troops seize strategic castle in Lebanon during deepest incursion in decades

By — Bassem Mroue, Associated Press Bassem Mroue, Associated Press By — Kareem Chehayeb, Associated Press Kareem Chehayeb, Associated Press By — Melanie Lidman, Associated Press Melanie Lidman, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/israeli-troops-seize-strategic-castle-in-lebanon-during-deepest-incursion-in-decades Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Israeli troops seize strategic castle in Lebanon during deepest incursion in decades World May 31, 2026 11:46 AM EDT BEIRUT (AP) — Israeli troops have captured a strategic mountain topped with a Crusader-built castle in southern Lebanon in the deepest incursion into the country in more than a quarter-century, the military said Sunday. The taking of Beaufort castle, near the city of Nabatiyeh, followed days of airstrikes and intense fighting in nearby villages between Israeli troops and Hezbollah militants. The capture marked a major Israeli advance in the latest Israel-Hezbollah war, which began on March 2, when Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel two days after the U.S. and Israel attacked its main backer, Iran. READ MORE: Israeli military tells residents across southern Lebanon to leave as it fights Hezbollah Since then, Israel has launched a ground invasion, capturing dozens of Lebanese villages and towns close to the border. Hezbollah has launched thousands of missiles and drones at Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon and northern Israel. The Israeli push came despite a nominal ceasefire that has been in place since April 17 and just days before Lebanon and Israeli hold their next round of direct talks in Washington starting Tuesday. Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a key Hezbollah ally, said that he can guarantee the militant group's "full, comprehensive, and immediate commitment to a ceasefire." "But who will force Israel to stop its aggression," he said in a statement on his television station NBN. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council to discuss Israeli military operations in Lebanon, which he described as "unacceptable." "Nothing can justify the prolongation of Israeli military operations in Lebanon and its increasingly deep occupation of Lebanese territory," Barrot said Sunday on French television BFM TV. A historic and strategic fortress The Israeli military's Arabic-language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, posted photographs on X showing Israeli troops walking outside the castle, and Defense Minister Israel Katz wrote on X that they raised an Israeli flag over the castle. Israeli troops previously captured the castle in 1982 and held it until they withdrew from Lebanon in 2000. "Twenty six years after the withdrawal from the security zone in Lebanon, the Israeli flag has returned to fly on the peaks that overlook the Galilee towns," Katz said Sunday at a memorial ceremony for Israeli soldiers killed in its