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Ceasefire Shattered: Netanyahu Orders Deeper Ground Manoeuvre Into Lebanon Targeting Hezbollah Defences
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered a deeper ground invasion into southern Lebanon, pushing past the Litani River toward the Zaharani River to crush Hezbollah forces. As part of the expansion, Israeli troops have captured the strategic 900-year-old Beaufort Castle for the first time in 26 years, prompting France to call an emergency UN Security Council meeting.
ND
by News Desk
2026-06-01
Ceasefire Shattered: Netanyahu Orders Deeper Ground Manoeuvre Into Lebanon Targeting Hezbollah Defences

Detailed Report

  • The Incursion Order: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has officially ordered the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to deepen and expand their ground operations inside sovereign Lebanese territory. Despite a nominal ceasefire established more than six weeks ago, Netanyahu declared on Sunday that Israeli forces must aggressively tighten their grip on historical Hezbollah strongholds. The military campaign, which marks the broadest regional spillover of the ongoing Iran war, has already led to the displacement of more than 1.2 million Lebanese civilians and tens of thousands of residents across northern Israel since hostilities escalated sharply on March 2.

  • Seizing the Historic Beaufort Heights: In the most significant territorial development of the latest push, the IDF successfully captured the strategic, 900-year-old Beaufort Castle along with its surrounding high-altitude mountain ridge. Overlooking vast swathes of both southern Lebanon and northern Israel, the medieval fortress has historically served as a critical artillery vantage point. This operation marks the first time Israeli boots have occupied the historic site since May 2000, when Tel Aviv ended its previous 18-year military presence in the region. Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed that the military intends to retain the ridge as a permanent anchor for its expanding security zone, releasing visual confirmation of the Israeli flag raised above the ancient stone walls.

  • The Human Toll: According to official data compiled by the Lebanese government, the localized ground and aerial conflict has resulted in the deaths of over 3,370 individuals. Conversely, the IDF has confirmed the losses of 24 soldiers and four civilians within the same period, including one soldier killed during the assault on the Beaufort Ridge.

    • Pushing Toward the Zaharani River: The fresh ground offensive follows what Israeli officials described as one of the heaviest single-day barrages of Hezbollah rocket and kamikaze drone fire since the mid-April truce was extended. While the IDF previously maintained operational control of territory leading up to the Litani River, forward columns are now actively advancing an additional 10 kilometers north toward the Zaharani River basin. In preparation for the incoming armor columns, the IDF issued immediate evacuation warnings to all civilian communities located south of the new river boundary, while state-run Lebanese media reported that sudden pre-dawn airstrikes targeting the village of Deir El Zahrani have already claimed the lives of at least eight people.
Tagged:

#LebanonIncursion #Netanyahu #BeaufortCastle #HezbollahConflict #MiddleEastWar #IDFExpansion #LitaniRiver #BreakingNewsWorld
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