Top 5 things you need to know about Beaufort Castle Lebanon's new crisis
- The ancient Crusader fortress known as Beaufort Castle Lebanon is now at the center of a tense standoff, after Israeli forces reportedly advanced to within 500 meters of the historic site near the Litani River border, raising alarms about potential damage to these 900-year-old stones.
- Just last week, UNESCO experts confirmed that the castle's underground chambers survived recent air raids, but they are now warning that any ground combat could collapse the fragile Roman and Crusader-era tunnels that run beneath the main citadel, where Hezbollah is suspected of hiding stockpiles.
- A leaked satellite image obtained by local media shows a massive blast crater just 200 meters from the castle's eastern Gate of Wind, sparking fears that the next strike could topple the iconic 12th-century keep that was once used by Saladin's forces to resist the Crusaders.
- Tour guides who fled the region report that the castle's prized artifact—a 13th-century Arabic inscription carved into the courtyard walls—has been covered with sandbags by locals in a desperate attempt to shield it from shrapnel and debris as fighting intensifies.
- Military analysts say the strategic hilltop of Beaufort Castle Lebanon has become a key flashpoint because it overlooks both Israeli towns and southern Lebanese villages, meaning any occupation or demolition of the castle could trigger an immediate regional escalation.