“Forty-four years after the heroic Battle of Beaufort, and on this day commemorating the soldiers who fell in the First Lebanon War (1982), our troops have returned to the summit of Beaufort and once again raised the Israeli flag there,” Katz said on his Telegram channel.

“Under prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and my direction, the IDF 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.”

AFP footage from Sunday morning showed the Israeli army flag raised above the citadel, with shelling audible and smoke rising from the surrounding area.

The fortress commands sweeping views of south Lebanon, making it a position of considerable strategic value.

Israeli forces used the castle, also known as Qalaat al-Shakif, as a base during their previous occupation of southern Lebanon, which lasted nearly two decades before ending in 2000.