Israel issues more displacement orders in Lebanon, seizes strategic castle

Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - BEIRUT — Israel has ordered the forced displacement of all residents living south of the Zahrani River in southern Lebanon as it expands its invasion of the country before a possible assault on the city of Nabatieh.

The warning came shortly after the army confirmed it had taken Beaufort Castle, a strategic point on a high ridge above the Litani river.

In a post on the social media platform X on Sunday, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee instructed residents to move immediately north of the Zahrani River, warning that anyone who remained in the area risked being killed.

Israel had issued more than 10 displacement orders in the previous 24 hours as it expanded its offensive against Hezbollah, after its forces crossed the Litani River on Friday for the first time since 2006.

Israel seized Beaufort Castle, which sits atop a strategic hill near Nabatieh, Lebanon’s fifth largest city that is key to southern Lebanon’s economy and a cultural hub for the region. The Israeli military previously captured the 12th-century fortress in 1982 and maintained control of it until withdrawing from Lebanon 18 years later.

Nabatieh is viewed by many Lebanese as a symbol of resistance due to its historic role on the front line of Israeli assaults.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz described the capture as a significant tactical victory.

“Under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and my direction, the [Israeli military] expanded the operations in Lebanon, crossed the Litani River, and captured the Beaufort Ridge – one of the most important strategic points for defending the communities of the Galilee and safeguarding the security of our forces.”

France rebuked Israel’s actions in Lebanon and has requested a meeting of the United Nations Security Council to discuss the situation in the country.

Speaking to French news network BFMTV, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon was unjustifiable.

“I have requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council because, while we recognise Israel’s right, like that of all countries, to self-defense… nothing can justify the continuation of Israeli military operations in Lebanon and its ever-deeper occupation of Lebanese territory,” Barrot said.

Netanyahu has signaled that he has no intention of changing course or slowing down military campaigns in Lebanon, Gaza or Syria.

“The capture of Beaufort is a dramatic stage and a dramatic shift in the policy we are leading. We have broken the barrier of fear. We are taking the initiative, we are operating on all fronts – in Syria, in Gaza, in Lebanon,” Netanyahu said.

Despite Israel’s advances in southern Lebanon, Hezbollah has continued to target Israeli forces.

Israel says it's been intensifying its onslaught against Hezbollah in response to the Iranian-backed group's ramping up of its own explosive drone and missile attacks both on Israeli troops inside Lebanon and communities across the border.

The military confirmed another soldier had been killed, while schools in communities on the Israeli side of the border have been closed on Sunday as a precaution.

On Saturday, Hezbollah fired some 25 projectiles towards that area, prompting calls from opposition Israeli politicians for the government to do more to ensure the safety of residents.

Hezbollah has been deploying fibre-optic drones that are resistant to electronic jamming and near-impossible to detect by radar. The low-cost aircraft have been able to penetrate Israel’s multi-layered air defense systems, which are valued at billions of dollars.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has denounced Israel’s invasion of the country, accusing its southern neighbor of pursuing a “scorched-earth policy” and imposing “collective punishment” on residents of southern Lebanon.

Israel also has repeatedly been accused of collective punishment against Palestinians in Gaza over its genocidal war and blockade of the enclave, including severe restrictions on the flow of humanitarian aid.

Both Lebanon and Israel want to see Hezbollah disarmed, but Beirut has struggled with the task. Hezbollah, which is stronger than the official state army, argues that it is the country’s only means of defense against Israel. And the Lebanese government and army, as ever, can only watch on as bystanders in the latest confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah.

Since the latest conflict erupted in early March, the Lebanese authorities say more than 3,300 people have been killed, while there have been 25 Israeli military deaths.