Israel’s war against Hezbollah has reached one of the most symbolic military heights in southern Lebanon. IDF troops have captured Beaufort Castle and the surrounding Beaufort Ridge after crossing the Litani River, with Defense Minister Israel Katz saying Israeli forces will remain there as part of the military’s new security zone.

For Israel, Beaufort is not just another hilltop. The Crusader-built fortress, known locally as Qalaat al-Shaqif, towers over key terrain facing the Galilee Panhandle, Metula, Wadi Saluki and the Nabatieh area. It was one of the most famous Israeli positions in Lebanon before the 2000 withdrawal, and one of the most painful symbols of the First Lebanon War. Golani troops fought a deadly battle there in 1982. Six Israeli soldiers were killed. Now, more than two decades after Israel left the old security zone, Israeli and Golani flags are flying there again.

Katz framed the move as both a battlefield gain and a message. “Whoever threatens the citizens of Israel will lose their strategic assets one after another,” he said, after declaring that IDF soldiers had “captured Beaufort once again” and would remain there.

The IDF says the operation began after days of preparation, including heavy Israeli Air Force strikes, artillery fire, tank fire and engineering work to open the way for ground forces. The objective is to destroy Hezbollah infrastructure, eliminate terrorists and push the threat away from northern Israeli communities. According to the military, Hezbollah built significant infrastructure around Beaufort and Wadi Saluki with Iranian assistance, using the area to manage fighting, launch terror attacks and fire hundreds of rockets at Israel and IDF troops.

The move also signals a sharper Israeli doctrine in the north. Israel is not only striking launch sites from the air. It is seizing dominant terrain Hezbollah used to threaten the Galilee. The IDF says forces are operating near Nabatieh, a major Hezbollah stronghold, and are prepared to expand the offensive as needed.

The cost remains real. As the operation unfolded, Staff Sgt. Michael Tyukin, 21, of the Givati Reconnaissance Unit, was killed by a Hezbollah explosive drone in southern Lebanon, with four other soldiers wounded. Hezbollah’s drone threat has become one of the most dangerous challenges facing Israeli troops on the northern front.

But the strategic message from Beaufort is unmistakable. Hezbollah spent years turning southern Lebanon into an Iranian forward base above Israeli communities. Israel is now taking the heights back, one ridge at a time.