Netanyahu vows to expand Israel’s grip on Lebanon after deepest incursion in 26 years
UNESCO, the U.N. cultural agency, said Friday ahead of the site’s capture that it was “deeply alarmed” by Israeli strikes near Beaufort Castle, which has a provisional protected status. Such sites should receive the “highest level of legal protection against attack and use for military purposes,” the body said. The crossing of the Litani River and capture of Beaufort Ridge are a major escalation in the current conflict. The river has become a de facto boundary in Lebanon since Israel’s invasion, with large areas to the south under Israeli military control and residents ordered to leave. Israeli forces had already begun striking and destroying bridges over the Litani that connect the south to the rest of the country. Israel’s military says they were being used by Hezbollah to smuggle weapons and move fighters. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot on Sunday requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, a French foreign ministry spokesperson confirmed to NBC News. He told France’s BFMTV channel that “nothing can justify” the “ever-deeper occupation” of Lebanese territory. Fears …





