Israeli Forces Take Control of Ancient Castle in Lebanon

Israeli soldiers have taken control of a famous old castle in southern Lebanon. The Beaufort Castle is 900 years old and sits on a hill that overlooks much of the area. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said capturing the castle was a big change in their fight against Hezbollah. Hezbollah is a group that fights against Israel and gets help from Iran.

The fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has been getting worse. Hezbollah shot rockets at Israeli towns in the north. They hit places called Shlomi and Nahariya. Air raid sirens went off to warn people to take cover. Israeli planes also bombed areas in Lebanon, killing eight people in one attack.

The war started when Hezbollah began attacking Israel in March. This happened after Iran's top leader was killed. Both sides agreed to stop fighting in April, but they never really stopped. Each side says the other side is breaking the peace agreement. They use this as a reason to keep attacking each other.

The Beaufort Castle is very important because it sits high up on a mountain. From there, soldiers can see far across southern Lebanon. Israel used this castle as a military base before, from 1982 to 2000. During that time, Israeli forces controlled part of southern Lebanon for twenty years.

After taking the castle, Netanyahu made a video statement. He said Israeli forces had returned to the area stronger than before. He wants his military to take control of more places that Hezbollah used to control. The Israeli defense minister said troops raised their country's flag above the castle again.