<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Israeli troops have captured a strategic mountain topped with a Crusader-built castle in southern </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/lebanon" rel="" target="" title="Lebanon "><span>Lebanon </span></a><span>in their deepest incursion into the country in more than a quarter of a century.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The capture of Beaufort castle near the city of Nabatiyeh came after days of intense fighting and airstrikes in nearby villages where Israeli troops fought Hezbollah members in the rugged area.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The capture of the castle marks a major gain for </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/israel" rel="" target="" title="Israel "><span>Israel </span></a><span>since the latest Israel-Hezbollah war began in early March and as the two countries that have been in a state of war since Israel was created in 1948 hold direct talks in </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/usa" rel="" target="" title="Washington"><span>Washington</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/wa-weather-unusually-strong-system-could-bring-destructive-winds-heavy-falls-and-localised-tornadoes-for-western-australia/6bcc2234-b7b7-472d-9f48-6ed97e3c4e59"><strong><span>Wild weather smashing WA could hit rest of Australia this week</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Israeli push came despite a nominal ceasefire that has been in place since April 17.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Israeli army’s Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee posted a photograph on X showing Israeli troops walking outside the castle. Israeli troops previously captured the castle in 1982 and held it until they withdrew from Lebanon in 2000.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/british-expats-why-manchester-family-moved-back-to-australia-after-returning-to-england-exclusive/ba9c9a8b-bfe4-411c-b100-b128fb35da0c" rel="" target="" title="British family sold everything to move to Perth. They left within months"><strong><span>British family sold everything to move to Perth. They left within months</span></strong></a><strong></strong></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/us-iran-war-israel-army-captures-strategic-castle-in-lebanon/7cc473b5-6ac8-4715-8ea5-fe7d6b0b4a63" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Israeli military said in a statement that it launched an operation a few days ago in the Beaufort Ridge and the Suluki valley further south with the aim of dismantling Hezbollah infrastructure and removing "direct threats to Israeli civilians.”</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The statement said the army is ready “to expand the operation if needed.”</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Israeli troops have been advancing for days in villages close to Beaufort castle after crossing the Litani River, which the Israeli military previously used as a de facto boundary. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>They are now about five kilometres from the city of Nabatiyeh, a major centre in southern Lebanon.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/man-charged-brawl-sydney-soccer-match/dd1126d2-9f8d-4df0-a184-b75665bbfff5" rel="" target="" title="Man charged after wild brawl at Sydney soccer match"><strong><span>Man charged after wild brawl at Sydney soccer match</span></strong></a><strong></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah or the Lebanese government on the Israeli push.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The latest Israel-Hezbollah war began on March 2, when Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel two days after the US and Israel attacked its main backer, Iran.</span></div></div><div class="styles__Wrapper-sc-2o34ro-0 cmwkBV"><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><a href="/content/2025/05/30/09/17/today-in-history-may-31-what-happened-on-this-day"><img alt="" sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 636px, (min-width: 768px) 396px, 100vw" src="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/hEfTVWq9TcYVbKrvTxUjAs-_29A=/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2F08729483-85b4-4be8-8eea-285eab1d5f03" srcset="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/hEfTVWq9TcYVbKrvTxUjAs-_29A=/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2F08729483-85b4-4be8-8eea-285eab1d5f03 396w, https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/yQkB6-au80A17sOmJ0AqwWjWoXY=/636x358/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2F08729483-85b4-4be8-8eea-285eab1d5f03 636w"/></a></div><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><div class="styles__Headline-sc-2o34ro-4 hpbOlz">Eighteen-metre wave wipes out town hours from the ocean</div><div class="styles__Button-sc-2o34ro-1 eBjlmW"><a class="styles__ButtonLink-sc-2o34ro-2 hqpklJ" href="/content/2025/05/30/09/17/today-in-history-may-31-what-happened-on-this-day">View Gallery</a></div></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Israel has since launched a ground invasion, capturing dozens of Lebanese villages and towns close to the border.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It has left 3,350 people dead in Lebanon and over 1 million people displaced.</span></div></div>