Israel orders mass displacement in southern Lebanon, captures strategic castle

Israeli forces have ordered the forced displacement of all residents living south of the Zahrani River in southern Lebanon. On Sunday, an Israeli military Arabic spokesperson named Avichay Adraee posted the instruction on social media, telling people to move north of the river immediately. He warned that anyone remaining in the area risked being killed.

This evacuation order is part of a wider military expansion. Israel issued more than 10 displacement orders in the previous 24 hours as it pushes deeper into Lebanon following a Hezbollah conflict. Israeli forces crossed the Litani River on Friday for the first time since 2006, advancing toward the city of Nabatieh.

Israeli forces have taken control of Beaufort Castle, a 12th-century fortress sitting on a strategic hill near Nabatieh, Lebanon's fifth-largest city. The Israeli military previously captured this castle in 1982 and held it until withdrawing from Lebanon 18 years later. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz called the recapture "a significant tactical victory," stating: "Under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and my direction, the [Israeli military] expanded the operations in Lebanon, crossed the Litani River, and captured the Beaufort Ridge – one of the most important strategic points for defending the communities of the Galilee and safeguarding the security of our forces."

Nabatieh holds key importance for southern Lebanon's economy and serves as a cultural centre for the region. Many Lebanese view the city as a symbol of resistance because of its historic position on the front line of Israeli military assaults. Israel is now encircling the city as operations expand.

Despite Israeli military advances, Hezbollah has continued attacking Israeli forces. Israel confirmed on Sunday that a soldier was killed in a Hezbollah drone attack the day before. Since fighting escalated on March 2, a total of 25 Israeli soldiers have died. Hezbollah has been using fibre-optic drones that resist electronic jamming and evade radar detection. These low-cost aircraft have penetrated Israel's multi-layered air defence systems, which cost billions of dollars.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has condemned Israel's invasion, accusing the country of pursuing a "scorched-earth policy" and imposing "collective punishment" on southern Lebanon's residents. An Al Jazeera correspondent reporting from Tyre said the invasion has created a humanitarian crisis. "The Israeli military has created a zone that is essentially one-fifth of Lebanon's territory where Lebanese citizens can't go," the correspondent stated. "Many families can't return to their homes. There's ongoing demolitions. Today, Israeli troops continued [to] demolish homes and businesses."

Israel and Lebanon are currently negotiating a peace agreement with help from the United States. Officials from both countries met at the Pentagon in Washington on Friday to discuss a nominal ceasefire that began in mid-April, which Israel has repeatedly violated. Talks are expected to resume next week.

A senior lecturer in international relations at the University of Bristol told Al Jazeera that Lebanon faces an extremely difficult position. The Lebanese government must negotiate with Israel while the country shows no real political plan for peace and pursues only military strategy. At the same time, Hezbollah opposes the peace talks, creating domestic pressure. Both countries want to see Hezbollah disarmed, but Beirut has struggled with this goal because Hezbollah is stronger than the official state army and argues it is Lebanon's only defence against Israel.