Israeli PM Netanyahu orders strikes on Hezbollah in Beirut; IDF captures Beaufort Castle
by Mike Glenn · The Washington TimesIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday ordered military strikes in Beirut in response to attacks by Lebanon’s Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.
The directive came shortly after Israel Defense Forces soldiers captured Beaufort Castle, a 900-year-old Crusader fortress in southern Lebanon.
The IDF missions will focus on Dahieh, a mostly Sunni suburb of Beirut that is considered a Hezbollah stronghold. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed there in a 2024 Israeli airstrike.
Mr. Netanyahu said the order was given in response to the “repeated and ongoing violations of the ceasefire in Lebanon” by Hezbollah. Communities in northern Israel have been frequently bombarded by rockets from Lebanon.
Beaufort Castle overlooks the Litani River valley, near the southern Lebanese city of Nagatiyeh. In taking the fortress, Israeli troops moved past the “yellow lines” established early this year that extend several miles into southern Lebanon, shifting the conflict from a border skirmish to a deep offensive operation.
“This is a clear message to our enemies: whoever threatens Israeli citizens will lose their strategic assets one after another,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement. “The campaign is not yet over. The IDF is strong, and we are all determined to crush Hezbollah’s power and complete the mission: ensuring security for the residents of the north.”
Iranian officials said IDF operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon violate the ceasefire between Tehran and Washington.
“Any violation of this ceasefire on one front shall be considered a violation of it across all fronts,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted Monday on X. “The United States and Israel bear responsibility for the consequences of any breach of the truce.”
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