In an escalation of its invasion of southern Lebanon, Israel heavily bombarded the historic Beaufort Castle.
This monument was built around the year 1139 by the Crusaders and is nearly a thousand years old. It is one of the finest examples of medieval military architecture in the Near East and is under special UNESCO protection (The National, 2026; UNESCO, 2025).
Air and artillery strikes caused direct hits and columns of smoke visible over the heritage site. These bombardments worsened previous damage to the medieval monument (Associated Press, 2026).
The castle was directly struck before Israeli troops occupied it on May 31, 2026, and raised flags over the ruins.
So far, the Israeli offensive has caused more than three thousand deaths in Lebanon. Israel has systematically killed doctors, paramedics, and journalists, repeating the pattern seen in Gaza. It has also destroyed entire villages through massive bombardments (The Guardian, 2026).
Beaufort is not only ancient stone, but an emblem of Lebanese identity facing systematic destruction. The invasion violates UNESCO-protected sites.
This destruction of archaeological heritage in southern Lebanon and in Gaza — a millennia-old city — recalls the actions of ISIS, which deliberately razed historic sites to erase collective memory (Washington Post, 2026).
References
The National. (2026, May 
. Lebanon’s Crusader-era Beaufort Castle is consumed by conflict again.
UNESCO. (2025). The castles of Mount Amel: Qalaat Al Chakif (Beaufort Castle).
Associated Press. (2026, May 31). Israeli army captures strategic castle in Lebanon in deepest incursion into the country in 26 years.
The Guardian. (2026, May 23). Israeli bombardment reduces buildings to craters in southern Lebanon.
Washington Post. (2026, May 30). Israeli strikes reportedly pound near Crusader-built castle in Lebanon.
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