JERUSALEM, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Sunday that its troops had captured a strategic castle in southern Lebanon.

This photo released by Israel Defense Forces on July 5, 2025 shows Israeli troops operating in the Gaza Strip. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced in a statement Friday that it currently maintains operational control of over 65 percent of the Gaza Strip. (Photo: Xinhua)

In a statement, the IDF said Israeli ground forces had entered the Beaufort Ridge and Wadi Saluki area in southern Lebanon.

Israel's state-owned Kan TV News and Channel 12 News reported that the Israeli army had seized the ridge, including the strategic castle at its summit, in what they described as Israel's deepest incursion into Lebanon in 26 years. The broadcasters released a photograph showing an Israeli flag atop the ancient fortress.

According to the IDF, the offensive is aimed at dismantling Hezbollah's military infrastructure and eliminating militants to remove what it described as direct threats to communities in the Galilee Panhandle and the northern Israeli border town of Metula.

The military said the operation, involving substantial ground forces, is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen its operational control in southern Lebanon.

It claimed that Hezbollah had used the ridge to coordinate attacks against Israel and said Israeli forces were targeting launch infrastructure in the area.

Before the ground incursion, the Israeli air force launched extensive strikes on Hezbollah targets, backed by artillery and tank fire.

Israeli troops subsequently moved to secure key positions, destroy military infrastructure in the Litani River area, and conduct engineering work in support of the mission.

In a separate statement, the IDF said an Israeli soldier was killed Saturday night when an explosive drone launched by Hezbollah struck Israeli forces operating west of the Beaufort area in southern Lebanon.