Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to push deeper into Lebanon after Israeli forces captured the medieval Beaufort Castle on Sunday.
Netanyahu labeled the seizure a dramatic shift, ordering the military to permanently expand its footprint across former Hezbollah strongholds.
The historic, 12th-century fortress now flies the Israeli flag, standing as a silent witness to a rapidly widening ground theater.
This lightning advance represents Israel’s deepest incursion into sovereign Lebanese territory in more than a quarter of a century.
Hezbollah retaliated by firing explosive drones and heavy rocket barrages at advancing Israeli units and northern border communities.
Sustained Israeli airstrikes heavily battered the coastal city of Tyre, wounding thirteen hospital staffers and leveling several residential buildings.
The Lebanese health ministry reported eight civilian deaths, including three women, during a devastating concurrent strike on Deir Zahrani.
A nominal April ceasefire lies shattered, with both warring sides trading fierce daily accusations of launching unprovoked initial violations.
Alarmed by Israel’s deepening occupation, France requested an emergency United Nations Security Council meeting to demand an immediate halt.
As ancient stone bastions crumble, thousands of displaced families flee north, chased by the relentless thunder of mechanized combat.
