BEIRUT: Israel detonated 700 tons of explosives beneath Beaufort Castle in South Lebanon during the middle of the night, according to reports.
The massive detonation targeted the area under the 900-year-old Crusader fortress, one of Lebanon’s most significant historical landmarks. The castle was recently listed by UNESCO as endangered heritage, raising international concern over damage to cultural sites in the region.
Beaufort Castle, built during the Crusader period and later used by various forces over centuries, sits on a strategic hilltop overlooking South Lebanon and northern Israel. It has long been a symbol of the region’s layered history but immediate statement was issued on the extent of structural damage to the castle. Cultural heritage organizations have condemned the use of explosives near protected sites, warning of irreversible loss to world history.
The incident has sparked outrage among historians and heritage groups who say the destruction of sites like Beaufort erases centuries of shared history.
Beaufort Castle, also known as Qala’at al-Shaqif, is a 900-year-old Crusader fortress in South Lebanon near the village of Arnoun. It was built around 1139 AD by the Crusaders and later expanded by Muslims, including Fakhr al-Din II in the 17th century.
The castle sits on a 700-meter hilltop overlooking the Litani River and has long controlled the strategic border area between Lebanon and Israel. Over the centuries it passed through the hands of Crusaders, Ayyubids, Mamluks, and Ottomans.
In modern times it was used as a military outpost during the Lebanese Civil War and by Hezbollah until 2000. In 2023-2024 UNESCO listed it as part of Lebanon’s tentative World Heritage sites and flagged it as “endangered heritage” due to conflict and lack of preservation.
It was one of the best-preserved Crusader castles in the Levant. For Lebanon it had served as a tourism site, a historical symbol, and part of national identity. For UNESCO it represents “cultural heritage at risk” in conflict zones.
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