Footage this morning showed the Israeli army flag raised above the Beaufort Castle citadel, with shelling audible and smoke rising from the surrounding area.
The fortress commands sweeping views of south Lebanon, making it a position of considerable strategic value. The crusader fortress dates back to the 1100s, it changed hands between the crusaders and Islamic forces, before Sultan Baibars captured it in 1268. It has played a role in past conflict between Israel and Lebanon, making it one of few medieval fortresses to have prove valuable in modern warfare.
Israeli forces captured the castle, also known as Qalaat al-Shakif, in 1982 and used it as a base during their previous occupation of southern Lebanon, which lasted nearly two decades before ending in 2000.
