The fortress<\/a> dominates the area around it. It is part of Lebanon\u2019s Nabatiya Governorate. It was recently captured again by Israel, this time taken from Hezbollah. The fortress is only a few kilometers from the border of Israel, but retaking the area was not undertaken in the early days of the conflict with Hezbollah.<\/p>\n Journalists recently visited Beaufort with the IDF. The numerous accounts paint a picture of an area used by Hezbollah. The terror organization, with Iranian funding and support, tunneled underground. Hezbollah\u2019s tunnel system included operating rooms and numerous weapons. The tunnel system extends beneath the ridge the castle was built on.<\/p>\n In essence, though, Hezbollah used this area for the same reason the Crusaders did: it was a strategic location that dominated the surrounding terrain.<\/p>\n What was found in the tunnels near the castle appears to indicate a large-scale engineering project and substantial investment. Reports also indicate this system of tunnels would have taken many years to complete. The tunnels had to be cut into rock, not dug out from the sand, as in Gaza. This was complex.<\/p>\n What does the story of Beaufort teach us?<\/p>\n The site is a symbol, and it has been for decades. It\u2019s a symbol of the wider challenge of southern Lebanon. Why was it taken in 1982? Because it was already being used by terrorists.<\/p>\n Lebanon has failed to secure this area for decades. In 1982, the excuse was that the country had fallen into civil war in 1976 and the terrorists had exploited this. At the time, Palestinian terrorist groups were the threat. After 1982, the threat became Hezbollah.<\/p>\n However, the Lebanese state was supposed to be rebuilt following the 1989 Taif Accords, which ended the civil war. When Israel left southern Lebanon in 2000, chronicled in the 2007 film, the Lebanese government was supposed to return. A key part of Lebanon\u2019s return was supposed to be linked to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) deployment in southern Lebanon.<\/p>\n UNIFIL was created in 1978 after the Israeli Litani operation, which was yet another Israeli operation against terrorism in southern Lebanon. At the time of its establishment, the mission was primarily to monitor the Israeli withdrawal and help Lebanon reestablish its authority.<\/p>\n What happened? We know what happened. UNIFIL has never been able to do anything of substance in southern Lebanon. It had many opportunities.<\/p>\n You can find maps of the UNIFIL deployment online. For instance, an August 2024 map shows how UNIFIL carpeted southern Lebanon with various posts. One could be forgiven for looking at the map and imagining this was a robust force. There are symbols for dozens of units; there is even a naval component.<\/p>\n There are little military symbols for headquarters units, and for forces from Tanzania, Italy, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Korea, Ghana, Malaysia, Ireland, Poland, Spain, and other countries.<\/p>\n One might be deceived here because if you looked at a plan for Operation Overlord, the codename for the Allied invasion of France in 1944, the plans of Overlord look less complex than the UNIFIL deployment. Yet, Overlord actually accomplished something.<\/p>\n![\"Israeli](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/723679.jpeg\"\/)
Israeli soldiers operate at Beaufort Ridge in southern Lebanon, in this handout image released on May 31, 2026. (credit: Israeli Military\/Handout via REUTERS)<\/p>\n