What is Lebanon’s Beaufort Castle, and why has Israel captured it?

The Israeli military has captured Lebanon’s Beaufort Castle, a medieval hilltop fortress in the country’s south, amid an expanded military offensive against the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.

The capture, announced on Sunday, comes amid fighting despite a “ceasefire” between Israel and Lebanon, which Israel has repeatedly violated.

“The Israeli flag is once again flying over the peaks overlooking the Galilee communities,” Defence Minister Israel Katz said at a memorial ceremony for fallen soldiers of the 1982 war with Lebanon, according to The Times of Israel newspaper.

“Our heroic soldiers have captured Beaufort once again and will remain there as part of the security zone in Lebanon,” he was quoted as saying.

Katz circulated a photo on social media of the castle with the Israeli flag and also that of the military’s Golani Brigade.

So what is Beaufort Castle, how did Israel capture it and why does it matter?

Beaufort Castle, known in Arabic as Qalaat al-Shaqif, is a 900-year-old fortress located on a rocky hilltop in southern Lebanon, about 700 metres (2,300ft) above sea level. Built during the 12th century by Crusaders, the castle overlooks the Litani River.

The Crusaders named the castle Beaufort, which means “beautiful fortress” in Old French.