Israel Seizes Historic Beaufort Castle as Invasion of Lebanon Continues
While most major outlets claim the ceasefire is ongoing, Israeli outlets and media admit there is no ceasefire.
The Israeli military announced on Sunday that its forces had captured Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon, crossed the Litani River, and intend to hold the ground “until further notice.” This is the deepest Israeli ground operation in Lebanese territory since the regime ended its eighteen-year occupation in May 2000.
As we go to publish, we are learning that Israeli warplanes are striking Bint Jbeil. The town has been under sustained Israeli ground and air attack since 9 April, when the regime opened what Israel and the United States insist is a separate war from the one being negotiated to a close with Iran. You’ll notice that is before the current “ceasefire” was announced, because the reality is, for Israel, there is no ceasefire.
The IDF is now operating within five kilometres of Nabatieh, the largest urban centre in southern Lebanon. Crucially, the territory Israel is “operating in” is not territory Israel controls or even has boots on the ground in. Most of the territory Israel has demanded emptied faces carpet bombing, but Israeli troops are struggling against Hezbollah’s defence, so they aren’t being risked in the areas recently emptied of their population.
Apparently, there is a ceasefire, as you can see, there is not. An ongoing invasion, the killing of 11 children per day, the seizing and attack of UNESCO heritage sites, this is no ceasefire. Israel has ripped up the deal, but hides behind a world media sphere willing to pretend it is still in effect.
On Friday, Lebanese and Israeli military officials met at the Pentagon for direct talks. The Pentagon called the talks “productive”, despite the clear evidence that Israel and the USA have backed the Lebanese government into a corner. Either pretend there’s a ceasefire and hand over the south of the country to Israel, or face total conquest across the entire country.
The Lebanese delegation went to Washington to request enforcement of that ceasefire, which as we noted has never been respected by Israel. Those “productive” talks led to that request being entirely dismissed in favour of further Israeli land expansion.
An analysis published by Ynet on Sunday describes the Litani crossing as a trap of the regime’s own making, with one division left to carry the campaign, no clear exit strategy, and Hezbollah rockets reaching deeper into northern Israel each day. Crucially, in the Ynet report, the language of war is not hidden, Israeli media are not pretending there is a ceasefire. While Reuters and others continue to offer the cover of an agreement, Ynet, knowing their audience, don’t need to hide the reality.
Western coverage has so far called this a “capture,” an “incursion,” an “advance.” Reuters reports the seizure of a 900-year-old castle “despite a ceasefire,” as if the ceasefire were the weather. A ceasefire isn’t a rain shower you can run to the store in, a ceasefire is a cessation of hostilities, and nothing less than that. We at Crust News are sick of this mask offered to Israel by the media, and you should be too.
This can only get worse, and the journalists who have the ability to hold power to account are being used as weapons of the ongoing invasion.