Israeli forces raise an Israeli flag over the medieval Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon while Israel expands its ground operations in the area. Multiple outlets report that the flag was seen flying over the fortress after Israeli forces said they captured the strategic hilltop site. The reports also state that Israel warns Lebanese civilians to evacuate a large swath of southern Lebanon ahead of intensified military activity. One report describes shelling audible nearby and smoke rising around the castle at the time the flag was displayed. Another notes that Israeli forces have previously used the fortress as a base during an earlier two-decade occupation. The coverage presents the event as part of an escalation in ground operations, with the evacuation notice and increased activity in the surrounding area accompanying the flag-raising. The accounts do not provide detailed confirmation of the extent of any new territorial gains beyond the claim that troops have taken control of the Beaufort location, but they consistently link the visible flag to the start or continuation of broader operations in southern Lebanon.