“44 years after the heroic Beaufort battle, and on this day to commemorate the soldiers who sacrificed in the First Lebanon War (1982), our army returned to the top of Beaufort and once again planted the Israeli flag there” - Israeli Defense Minister Katz informed on his personal Telegram channel.
The Israeli Defense Minister added that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have expanded operations in Lebanon, crossing the Litani River and capturing the summit of Beaufort - one of the most important strategic points to protect residential areas in Galilee and ensure security for Israeli forces.
Images recorded by AFP on the morning of May 31 show the Israeli army flag being planted on the fortress, gunfire echoing and smoke rising from the surrounding area.
Beaufort Fortress, also known as Qalaat al-Shakif, has a panoramic view of southern Lebanon, making it a significant strategically valuable location.
Israeli forces used this castle as a base during the previous occupation of southern Lebanon, lasting nearly 2 decades before the end of 2000.
The Israeli military also announced on May 31 that 1 of its soldiers died on May 30 due to an attack by Hezbollah's explosive drone in southern Lebanon. Thus, the total number of Israeli soldiers killed since the beginning of March has increased to 25 people.
The conflict between Israel and Iranian-backed Hezbollah broke out on March 2, when the Shia Islamic militant group reopened its front to support Tehran, after Israel and the US attacked Iran on February 28.
