The Israel Defense Forces released new footage on Sunday showing a historic moment in the current Lebanon campaign: the first Israeli tank crossing the Litani River as part of the operation that led to the capture of the strategically important Beaufort Ridge.
The crossing marked a significant stage in Israel’s expanding ground offensive beyond the security zone known as the Yellow Line. Military officials said the operation was designed to pave the way for a large-scale combined-arms assault aimed at securing the Beaufort Ridge and surrounding high ground overlooking southern Lebanon.
The release of the footage comes days after Israeli forces successfully seized the ridge in an operation involving thousands of troops from multiple elite formations. Participating units included the Golani Brigade, the 7th Armored Brigade, the Givati Brigade, the Fire Brigade, and the Multidimensional Unit, all operating under the command of the 36th Division with intelligence support from the IDF Intelligence Directorate.
Following the capture of the position, Golani soldiers returned to the summit of Beaufort and raised both the Israeli flag and the Golani Brigade flag. The symbolic event took place 44 years after the famous Battle of Beaufort during the First Lebanon War and coincided with memorial events honoring those who fell in the 1982 campaign.
According to the IDF, the objective of the operation was to dismantle Hezbollah’s military infrastructure across the Beaufort Ridge and Saluki Valley region. Israeli officials stated that the area had become a heavily fortified Hezbollah stronghold developed with Iranian assistance and used for planning attacks, directing operations, and launching terrorist activities against Israel.
The military also noted that numerous rocket-launching positions operating from the region had been responsible for repeated attacks against Israeli civilians and security forces. Israeli troops were tasked with locating and destroying these launch sites as part of the broader campaign.
Before ground forces advanced, the Israeli Air Force conducted extensive preparatory strikes targeting Hezbollah command centers, weapons depots, observation posts, and logistical infrastructure. The operation was further supported by concentrated artillery fire and armored forces.
The IDF said forces also carried out engineering operations and terrain-clearing missions throughout the Litani region, enabling the offensive to proceed and allowing Israeli troops to secure key strategic positions overlooking Hezbollah-controlled areas in southern Lebanon.