Amidst the ongoing tension between Israel and Lebanon, a news has come to light which has attracted the attention of the entire world. Despite all efforts and claims of ceasefire, the bloodshed on the ground is not stopping. This fire got further fueled by Hezbollah’s open support of Iran after the Israeli and American attacks on Iran. In this sequence, the Israeli Army, taking a major military step, has entered into Lebanon and established its control over the centuries-old historical Beaufort Castle and the entire range around it.
The capture of this historic fort is being considered a very important turning point in Israel’s military history. Strategically, this place is so sensitive and important that after its control, the military equation of the entire region can change.
You can guess the importance of this fort from the fact that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself came forward and announced it officially. As the Israeli flag was raised on the highest peak of the Beaufort Fort, Netanyahu aggressively said that today we have returned to Beaufort in a completely different form, united and stronger than ever. Israel may be seeing this as a big victory for itself, but strong opposition to this move has started at the international level. Many European countries including Britain and France have strongly criticized Israel’s military action. Global leaders say that such steps promote provocation in the region, which cannot be justified at any cost. On the other hand, the Prime Minister of Lebanon has also made very serious allegations against Israel of violating sovereignty.
To understand why such a big bet was made for this one fort on the battlefield, we have to know its history and geography. Beaufort Castle is located near the city of Nabatieh in Lebanon, built on an extremely steep and massive cliff just above the Litani River. This fort is about 900 years old. According to UNESCO documents, it is considered one of the safest, strongest and finest forts of its time in the Middle East. This historical fort was built by the Crusaders in the 12th century. If we understand the literal meaning of its name, then in the French language ‘Beaufort’ means ‘beautiful fort’, whereas in the local Arabic language people call it ‘Kalai al-Shaqif’.
According to defense experts and military analysts, the geographical and strategic importance of Beaufort Castle is so much that whoever rules it can keep a direct eye on the entire area. This fort is built at such an unmatched height that by being stationed here, every part of the ‘Galilee Panhandle’ of Northern Israel and the ‘Nabatiyeh’ area of Southern Lebanon can be clearly seen through binoculars. The army present here can easily track even the smallest movements of the enemy and the movement of their soldiers up to several kilometers away. Simply put, this fort works as an infallible weapon for surveillance and defeating enemies during war.
This is not the first time that Beaufort Castle has smelled of gunpowder between Israel and Lebanon. Earlier, during the 1982 Lebanon War, the Israeli Army had snatched this fort from the possession of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). At that time Israel had converted it into a very strong military post and maintained its control over it for about 18 years. However, it was later captured by Hezbollah. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) claim that Hezbollah, with the help of Iran, had prepared a very large, modern and secret military infrastructure (tunnel network) inside this ancient fort and under the hill. Under the cover of this hill and strong fort, Hezbollah was firing hundreds of rockets at Israeli residential areas for a long time, to stop which Israel has now used all its strength.
