Israeli soldiers have captured a significant hilltop topped by the historic Crusader castle of Beaufort in southern Lebanon. This operation marks a considerable escalation in the ongoing conflict with Hezbollah. The Israeli military made the announcement on Sunday, describing it as the most extensive invasion of Lebanon in decades.
The capture of Beaufort brings back painful memories for both Israel and Lebanon. Repeated battles took place there during Israel’s almost 20-year occupation of southern Lebanon. Israel eventually withdrew in 2000 after a bloody resistance led by Hezbollah, a militant group supported by Iran.
Neither Hezbollah nor the Lebanese government has responded to the Israeli military’s latest announcement. More than 25 years later, Hezbollah is fighting a guerrilla war against invading Israeli forces. Israeli leaders are discussing the possibility of reinstating a prolonged Israeli “security belt” in Lebanon to defend against Hezbollah assaults. An Israeli flag now flies over Beaufort’s fortress.
Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, praised the conquest of Beaufort as a “dramatic step,” pledging that Israeli forces would continue their advance into Lebanon. However, military experts, including Haim Har-Zahav, an Israeli author with combat experience in the 1990s, believe that the capture will not halt Hezbollah from launching rockets and drones at Israeli troops or cities.
Experts like Har-Zahav express concern that Israel might be on the verge of reliving an occupation and a war of attrition with Hezbollah, which many now view as a strategic failure.
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