Israeli army chief threatens Lebanon with ‘swift offensive’ from Beaufort Castle

Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir on Sunday threatened Lebanon with a “swift offensive” in the event of any violation of an ongoing ceasefire agreement, during a field visit to the occupied Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon. In a statement, the Israeli army said Zamir toured forces stationed in the Beaufort area, known in Arabic as Qalaat al‑Shaqif, alongside senior military commanders. During the visit, Zamir called for transitioning to a “swift offensive” if the ceasefire agreement is breached.

Strategic site and accusations

The statement quoted him as describing Beaufort Castle as a “strategic point dominating its surroundings” and claimed the area was “full of terrorist infrastructure.” Ignoring Israel’s near‑daily violations of the ceasefire, Zamir also urged the Lebanese army to fulfill its commitments and work to remove Hezbollah fighters from the area. He further claimed that Hezbollah had built, with Iranian funding and direction, “extensive tunnel systems and underground infrastructure” over decades to threaten northern Israeli settlements. There was no immediate response from Lebanese authorities on Zamir’s threat or his field visit.

Context and casualties

In late May, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that Israeli forces had taken control of Beaufort Castle, in the deepest push into Lebanese territory since 2000. Hezbollah said at the time that the site had been “free of any military resistance” when Israeli forces entered it, accusing Israel of occupying the area for propaganda purposes. The latest threat comes despite a framework agreement signed between Lebanon and Israel on June 26 under US mediation, which aims to end the conflict and address its root causes. Since March 2, Israeli military operations in Lebanon have killed at least 4,303 people and injured 12,202 others, according to Lebanese authorities.