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Israel occupies strategic stronghold in Lebanon/ France calls for urgent UN Security Council meeting

2026-05-31 16:06:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Israel occupies strategic stronghold in Lebanon/ France calls for urgent UN

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has announced that troops have captured the strategic medieval fortress of Beaufort in southern Lebanon.

The announcement came as Israel expanded its ground operations against the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

Israeli forces previously occupied the Crusader-built fortress, also known as Qalaat al-Shakif, in 1982 and held it until their withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000.

"Forty-four years after the heroic Battle of Beaufort, and on this day commemorating the soldiers who fell in the First Lebanon War (1982), our troops have returned to the peak of Beaufort and raised the Israeli flag there again ," Katz said on his Telegram channel.

Located near the city of Nabatiyeh, the fortress is considered strategically important as it offers sweeping views over southern Lebanon.

Its occupation comes after several days of fierce fighting between Hezbollah and Israeli troops in surrounding villages. There has been no immediate reaction from Hezbollah or the Lebanese government.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said he has requested an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council after Israeli forces occupied Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon.

"I have requested an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council because, while we recognize Israel's right, like that of all countries, to self-defense, nothing can justify the continuation of Israeli military operations in Lebanon and the ever-deeper occupation of Lebanese territory ," the minister said.

The foreign minister added that Israel's occupation is not only contrary to Israel's commitments - given that a ceasefire has been in effect in Lebanon since April 17 - but is also contrary to international law. 

The Israeli military said in a statement that it launched an operation several days ago in Beaufort Ridge with the aim of dismantling Hezbollah's infrastructure and removing direct threats to Israeli civilians. Israel has expanded its ground occupation of southern Lebanon in recent days by sending troops across the Litani River, which previously served as a de facto border.

The war between Israel and Hezbollah has killed at least 3,350 people and displaced more than 1 million in Lebanon. Twenty-five Israeli soldiers have been killed in the operation, as well as two civilians in northern Israel, according to the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. /CNA





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