Skip to main contentSkip to navigation Close dialogue1/4 Next image Previous image Toggle caption An Israeli flag and a flag of the Golani Brigade fly on Beaufort Castle. Photograph: Reuters View image in fullscreen An Israeli flag and a flag of the Golani Brigade fly on Beaufort Castle. Photograph: Reuters ‘A shock to all Lebanese’: Israel sends a message as it takes ancient fortConquering of Beaufort Castle for first time in 26 years brings back memories of occupation of south When Hussain Alawieh used to take tourists to Beaufort Castle, they would marvel at the view. The ancient hilltop fort, captured nearly 1,000 years earlier by Crusaders, still offered the same sweeping panoramic views of south Lebanon and the Litani River that empires fought over for a millennia.On Sunday, the view from the castle was obscured by white phosphorus smoke, the toxic incendiary munition providing a smoke screen for advancing Israeli soldiers. Out of the fog rose an Israeli flag, and the castle, for the first time in 26 years, was once again conquered.In the age of drones and surveillance blimps, the value of the ancient hilltop fort is diminished. But to both Israelis and Lebanese, its capture carried psychological weight in a conflict that for six weeks had ground to a deadlock.“The raising of the Israeli flag and the…
Published: June 1, 2026 3:59 pm
Source: The Guardian — Read original