Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday saw the occupation of the Beaufort castle (Qalaat al-Shaqif), near the city of Nabatiyeh in South Lebanon, as a symbol of a heroic battle and a “dramatic shift” in Israel’s policy against Hezbollah. However, analysts in Israel argued that the occupation of the castle is not enough to eliminate Hezbollah's threat or achieve a strategic shift in the war despite Israel's expanding offensive. The severe criticisms, unprecedented since the October 7, 2023 attacks, came as the Israeli government and military officials have reportedly asked the US to approve an expansion of strikes in Beirut in line with the resumption of talks with the Lebanese cabinet. They also came as the Israeli street accuse the government and the military of severe security failures, particularly with Hezbollah's daily use of explosive drones—reaching cities like Tiberias and Acre and towns in the lower Galilee region. Maariv’s military correspondent Avi Ashkenazi described the occupation of the Beaufort castle as “nothing more than a tactical event” and warned that Israel was being dragged into a war of attrition in Lebanon without a clear political strategy. Objectives of Bombing Beirut’s Southern Suburbs On Monday, Netanyahu issued a joint statement with Defense Minister Israel Katz threatening to strike Hezbollah targets in Beirut’s southern suburbs “following repeated violations of the ceasefire.” Right-wing paper Maariv said the military leadership intends to designate a variety of objectives for the attack, which fall into three main categories. The first category includes the assassination of senior Hezbollah officials, most notably the party's Secretary-General, Naim Qassem. The second category aims to target command and control centers, where the Israeli army intends to destroy headquarters in the southern suburbs of Beirut from where Hezbollah relay instructions to forward headquarters in Tyre and Sidon. The third category aims to attack weapons depots and apartments where Hezbollah stores various types of missiles, as well as drone depots, and even laboratories and technological systems used by the party to operate against Israeli forces. On Sunday, Channel 12 said Netanyahu held a high-level security consultation, the second in 24 hours, amid Israeli efforts to get Washington to back strikes against Hezbollah in Beirut. Netanyahu held a similar discussion on Saturday, as Jerusalem aims to shift from a strategy focused on holding territory in southern Lebanon to broader aerial operations, including in Beirut, according to the report. But the channel said some top Israeli security officials strongly oppose a major, destructive attack on Beirut, arguing that such an operation would be another failed counterproductive move. Killings and Destructions Don’t Bother Naim Qassem Professor Eyal Zisser wrote at the Israel Hayom newspaper that Israel has been foolishly dragged into a war of attrition in southern Lebanon. “We are operating just slightly beyond the confrontation line and the border, and are losing soldiers.” He also noted that Israel is paying a heavy price in losses. While warning against endless military quagmires that lack decisive endgame strategies, he said decisive military action remains necessary to protect Israel’s security interests. “Needless to say, the killing of a few dozen of its operatives or the destruction of Shiite villages in southern Lebanon does not disturb Naim Qassem,” he wrote. Nightmare of Beaufort Castle Meanwhile, Ron Ben-Yishai wrote in the Yedioth Ahronoth that the capture of the Beaufort castle improves security and makes it more difficult for Hezbollah to operate. But it also places Israel and the military in a dilemma. “If Israeli forces remain there, the history of a war of attrition may repeat itself. Unlike the years when Israel maintained a security zone in southern Lebanon, however, there is no South Lebanon Army today to shoulder the burden with Israeli troops,” he noted, adding that the military is already operating on at least three active fronts and faces a shortage of more than 10,000 combat soldiers. This came as Israeli broadcast networks, including Channel 12, Channel 13, and Kan 11, interviewed soldiers returning from the southern Lebanon front, who described their experiences around Beaufort Castle as a “nightmare.” A former general told Channel 12 that the capture of the castle is an important blow to Hezbollah, as it was carried out quickly compared to the time of Fatah and the PLO. Israel previously occupied the site during its 1982 invasion of Lebanon and maintained a military presence there until withdrawing from southern Lebanon in 2000. “But this will not constitute the devastating blow portrayed by Netanyahu. Hezbollah's main power centers in Beirut and the Bekaa had not been decisively hit while the Israeli army is not yet moving towards controlling Nabatieh,” he said.
