Historic Beaufort Castle again central in Israel-Lebanon tensions: what makes it strategic?

Report by Yazbek Wehbe, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

For the second time in 44 years, Israel has raised its flag and that of the Golani Brigade over the strategic Beaufort Castle.

The fortress, located on a hill 700 meters above sea level, was originally built by the Romans and later expanded by the Crusaders, who gave it the foreign name Beaufort, meaning “beautiful fortress.” It overlooks the Golan Heights, the Upper Galilee, and large areas of Lebanon.

After the Crusaders, the castle came under the control of Saladin and later the Ottomans. Over the years, many powers ruled it. It became known as al-Shaqif, an Aramaic term referring to its location on a steep rocky cliff.

Since 1967, fighters from the Palestine Liberation Organization have recognized the strategic importance of the site overlooking northern Israel. They used it as an observation post and later as a platform for launching rockets into Israel.

A painting by Paul Guiragossian commemorates the success of Palestinian fighters in repelling an Israeli airborne assault aimed at capturing the castle in August 1980. The fortress was ultimately seized during Israel’s 1982 invasion by the Golani Brigade on the first day of the offensive, June 6.

The Palestine Liberation Organization had fortified the site with tunnels, trenches and minefields, which initially slowed the Israeli assault force. Israeli troops eventually captured the fortress after a fierce, trench-by-trench battle that lasted two days. 

Thirty-three fighters took part in the defense; most were killed, and only five managed to withdraw. Israeli forces also suffered significant losses, with six soldiers killed, including three officers.

The battle underscored the importance Israel attached to the castle. Then-Prime Minister Menachem Begin, Defense Minister Ariel Sharon, and Chief of Staff Rafael Eitan flew to the site by helicopter, where they were reportedly confronted with the extent of Israeli casualties.

The Israeli military later used the castle as a military outpost. It was attacked multiple times by Lebanese resistance fighters, resulting in Israeli casualties, before Israel withdrew from the site in 2000 after demolishing many of its facilities.

With funding from the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, the castle was restored in 2015 and reopened as a destination for Lebanese visitors and tourists.

The fortress has therefore witnessed a long history of battles, making it a powerful symbol in Israeli military memory, just as it remains a symbol of resilience in Lebanese and Palestinian collective memory.