AJ
⚡️ Times of Israel published an early article stating that the Israeli forces had captured Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon as part of their expanded ground offensive against Hezbollah, clearly showing the ceasefire was over.
🔹 IDF said troops crossed the Litani River over the weekend, advanced into the Beaufort Ridge and Wadi Saluki area, destroyed alleged Hezbollah infrastructure, eliminated alleged fighters, and strengthened operational control in southern Lebanon.
🔹 Soon after the report, a statement was issued by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, saying that 44 years after the ‘heroic Battle of Beaufort,’ and on the day of remembrance for the fallen of the Galilee Peace War, including Golani solders who fell in the Battle of Beaufort – IDF fighters, lead by the Golani Brigade, returned to the summit of Beaufort and raised the Israeli flag and the Golani flag.
🔹 “Under the direction of Prime Minister Netanyahu and my direction, the IDF expanded the manoeuvre in Lebanon, crossed the Litani River and captured the Beaufort Ridge – one of the most important strategic points for the defence of the Galilee communities and maintaining the security of our forces,” Katz said, adding: “Today, the blackout imposed on the operation to prevent information from the enemy has been lifted.’
🔹 Katz said the message was clear to the enemies of Israel: “Those who threaten the citizens of Israel will lose their strategic assets one by one,” praising the fighters involved who wrote another chapter of ‘Israeli heroism’ in the ‘place our heroes fell for the homeland.’
The Defence Minister said the campaign was still not over, but the IDF was strong: “And we are all determined to crush Hezbollah’s power and complete the mission: ensuring security for the residents of the north.”
🔹 Prime Minister Netanyahu decided his statement would come via a television broadcast, which took a little later to be published, but said that the soldiers had captured the Beaufort outpost overnight and raised flags, again reminding that 44 years ago, there was a battle at the site.
🔹 Netanyahu said the fighters pushed him to release to the press and tell the people of Israel what was happening around the Castle area: “Prime Minister, the public does not know what achievements we have,” they said, resulting in an eventual lift on censorship of the operation.
🔹 The Prime Minister then claimed that since the beginning of the War of Revival (Oct 7 2023), Israel had eliminated 8,000 alleged Hezbollah terrorists, while since ‘Rising Lion’ (March 2026), at least 3,000 had been killed, and ‘in the last month alone – 700,’ adding: “That is more than we eliminated in the during the entire Second Lebanon War (2006).
🔹 Netanyahu said the IDF were instructed to expand ground operations in Lebanon, the forces had crossed the Litani river and seized ‘dominant terrain,’ captured the Beaufort Ridge, and now the directive was to deepen and expand the hold in areas that were under alleged Hezbollah control.
🔹 The PM said: “We have broken the barrier of fear and we are taking the initiative – we are operating on all fronts – in Syria, in Gaza, in Lebanon, and we have established security zones beyond our borders to protect our communities.”
🔹 Netanyahu said having met with the brigade commanders on Friday, he found them bold commanders, inside the battlefield, leading the soldiers, and they allegedly said: “Prime Minister, we are carrying out our mission – we are charging forward – and Hezbollah is fleeing for its life.”
🔹 The reply was: “I am with you, the entire people of Israel are with you – it will take more time, but we will restore security to the residents of the north, just as we did for the residents of the south,” adding that it would take time, “but we will complete the mission.”
