Israeli Forces Capture Historic Beaufort Castle in Lebanon

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Israeli forces recently captured Lebanon’s medieval Beaufort Castle during an expanded military offensive against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
This military action happened despite an existing Israel-Lebanon ceasefire.

Beaufort Castle is also known as Qalaat al-Shaqif or Shaqif Arnoun.
It is a 900-year-old hilltop fortress in southern Lebanon built by Crusaders in the 12th century.
The fortress sits near Nabatieh, just a few kilometres north of the Israel border.
It overlooks the Litani River along with wide areas of southern Lebanon and northern Israel.
Its high position gives Israeli forces a major observation advantage over towns near Nabatieh, the western Bekaa Valley, the occupied Golan Heights, and northern Galilee.

The fortress has changed hands multiple times throughout history between Crusaders, regional powers, the Ottoman Empire, Palestinian fighters, and Israel.
Israel previously occupied the site during its 1982 Lebanon invasion until its withdrawal in 2000.
Beaufort Castle was among the Lebanese cultural sites placed under enhanced UNESCO protection during the previous Israel-Hezbollah war in 2024.

The Litani River is the longest river entirely within Lebanon and serves as a key water resource in southern Lebanon.
It originates in the Beqaa Valley, flows south parallel to the Syrian border, and drains into the Mediterranean Sea near Tyre.