Beaufort, Lebanon. Israeli forces entered the 900-year-old Beaufort Castle in south Lebanon on Saturday, returning to a fortress they held during their 1982-2000 presence in the area. The capture was presented by Israel as a strategic victory, while also recalling the hardships of a previous occupation.
Netanyahu hails return
Israel is again at war with Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Shi’ite group, and the campaign has devastated the surrounding country, driving hundreds of thousands from their homes. The castle, a UNESCO-registered cultural site, sits high above the Litani River and overlooks territory stretching toward the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and the Mediterranean.
Hezbollah denies military presence
Hezbollah said it did not have a military presence in the castle when Israeli troops entered, but said fighting continued in the surrounding area. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the return to Beaufort, saying it was different from the situation 44 years ago and that Israeli forces had come back “united, determined, and stronger than ever.”
Site with a long military history
Built in the 12th century by a Crusader ruler atop earlier fortifications, Beaufort Castle has changed hands repeatedly over the centuries. It was captured by Muslim warrior Saladin and later held by the Knights Templar and Egypt’s Mamluk dynasty.