JERUSALEM (VINnews) – Israeli troops captured the strategic Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon and raised the Israeli and Golani Brigade flags there, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Sunday.

Netanyahu described the operation as a significant milestone in Israel’s ongoing campaign against Hezbollah, saying forces have crossed the Litani River, seized dominant terrain along the Beaufort ridge and are deepening their hold on areas previously controlled by the Iran-backed terrorist group.

“Last night, our heroic fighters captured the Beaufort castle,” Netanyahu said. “They proudly raised the flag of the State of Israel and the flag of the Golani Brigade there.”

The prime minister noted that the site was the scene of a major battle 44 years ago during the First Lebanon War, symbolizing both heroism and national division at the time. He contrasted that with the current operation, saying Israeli forces returned “united, determined, and stronger than ever.”

Since the start of what Netanyahu called the “War of Redemption,” Israel has eliminated 8,000 Hezbollah terrorists, including 3,000 since the launch of Operation Roaring Lion and 700 in the past month alone — more than the total killed during the 2006 Second Lebanon War, he said.

Netanyahu said he has instructed the Israel Defense Forces to expand the ground incursion in Lebanon.

“We have broken the barrier of fear,” he declared. “We are taking the initiative, we are operating on all fronts — in Syria, in Gaza, in Lebanon. We have established security zones beyond our borders to protect our communities.”

The prime minister said brigade commanders on the ground reported that Hezbollah fighters are “fleeing for their life” as Israeli forces press forward.

“I told them: ‘I am with you. The entire nation of Israel is with you,’” Netanyahu recounted. “It will take more time, but we will restore security to the residents of the North, just as we did for the residents of the South.”

The capture of Beaufort marks a dramatic shift in Israel’s policy, according to Netanyahu, as the military moves from defensive postures to proactive operations aimed at dismantling Hezbollah’s infrastructure near the border.