Israeli Soldiers Capture Historic Castle in Lebanon

Israeli soldiers have taken control of a famous castle in southern Lebanon. The castle sits on top of a mountain and was built hundreds of years ago. This is the furthest Israeli troops have gone into Lebanon in more than 25 years. The military announced this news on Sunday.

The castle is called Beaufort Castle and sits near the city of Nabatiyeh. Israeli troops fought hard battles with Hezbollah fighters to capture it. Hezbollah is a group that has been fighting against Israel. Before taking the castle, Israeli planes bombed nearby villages for several days.

This capture is a big step forward for Israel in their current war with Hezbollah. The fighting started on March 2nd when Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel. This happened two days after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran, which supports Hezbollah. Since then, Israel has sent ground troops into Lebanon and captured many villages and towns near the border.

Beaufort Castle has been important for military purposes for centuries. It was first built as a Crusader castle around the 12th century on top of older fortifications. Many different armies have used it over time, including Saladin's forces, Mamluks, Ottomans, the French, and the Palestine Liberation Organization. The Crusaders gave it the name Beaufort, which means 'beautiful fortress' in old French.

The current fighting has killed 3,350 people in Lebanon and forced more than 1 million people to leave their homes. Israeli troops are now about 3 miles from Nabatiyeh, which is a major center in southern Lebanon. The fighting continues even though peace talks between Lebanon and Israel are supposed to start in Washington this Tuesday. At least 25 Israeli soldiers and two Israeli civilians have also died in this conflict.