Image Source: France24
World – Following the escalation and expansion of Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the capture of the historic Beaufort Castle, a fortress in southern Lebanon overlooking the Litani River. Ground forces had crossed the Litani River and seized dominant terrain in areas previously under Hezbollah control.
Israeli forces pushed deeper into southern Lebanon under what Netanyahu described as Operation Roaring Lion. The prime minister said over 8,000 Hezbollah fighters had been eliminated since the beginning of what he called the War of Redemption, and that commanders on the ground reported Hezbollah retreating under sustained pressure.
“Last night, our heroic fighters captured the Beaufort castle. They proudly raised the flag of the State of Israel and the flag of the Golani Brigade there … Today, we returned to Beaufort differently. We returned united, determined, and stronger than ever,” Netanyahu said.
The prime minister said Hezbollah casualties in the past month alone, 700, exceeded the total from the Second Lebanon War. He framed the Beaufort capture as a turning point, with Israeli operations now running simultaneously across Lebanon, Syria and Gaza.
“Now my instruction is to deepen and expand our hold on places that were under Hezbollah’s control. The capture of Beaufort is a dramatic stage and a dramatic change in the policy we are leading. We have broken the barrier of fear,” Netanyahu said.
Western Leaders Criticise Incursion, Call for Ceasefire
France, Britain and Germany criticised the Israeli advance and called for an immediate halt to hostilities and a return to the agreed ceasefire. French President Emmanuel Macron had been on a tour of Gulf states, meeting the Saudi crown prince, the Omani sultan, the Emirati president and the Egyptian president before issuing his remarks.
Macron said France was prepared to help restore stability through a France-UK multinational maritime mission and by supporting nuclear discussions with Iran. He said Lebanon was the starting point for any serious conversation about regional security.
“As for regional stability, it must begin with Lebanon, where it is urgent that the weapons fall silent — all of them, and for good. Nothing justifies the major escalation currently underway in southern Lebanon,” Macron said.
British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper called on both Israel and Hezbollah to stand down. She condemned the Israeli military campaign and simultaneously demanded that Hezbollah disarm.
Cooper said the conflict had killed and displaced civilians, destroyed infrastructure and closed off diplomatic space. She called on all parties to return to negotiations.
“Israel’s military escalation in Lebanon has killed and displaced civilians, destroyed infrastructure, and eroded space for diplomacy. It must end,” Cooper said.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Israel had legitimate security concerns but warned that the campaign carried serious long-term consequences. He said civilians were bearing a disproportionate cost and that parts of Lebanon rendered permanently uninhabitable would not make Israel’s neighbourhood safer.
“The continued advance of the Israeli army in southern Lebanon is a cause for great concern … All parties to the conflict are urgently called upon to cease hostilities and return to the agreed ceasefire. Any further escalation will exacerbate the already tense situation and trigger new waves of displacement within Lebanon,” Wadephul said.
