Israeli troops raise flag on Lebanon's historic Dubieh castle

Israeli troops raised the Israeli flag at the historic Dubieh castle in southern Lebanon, a move that Lebanon's Culture Minister Ghassan Salame condemned as a "hostile, provocative act." Lebanon "will spare no effort to restore sovereignty" over the southern castles, Salame stated on X.

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We will enter the town with our heads held high, thanks to the presence of the Lebanese army.

The incident occurred as Israeli forces continued military operations in southern Lebanon. The National News Agency (NNA) reported drone attacks on Nabatieh al-Fawqa and the Khardali area, as well as artillery shelling on the strategic Ali al-Taher ridge on Wednesday. Israeli troops also carried out an incursion towards the Dubieh area, near the town of Shaqra.

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We will follow the army if it gives us permission to enter.

This follows the seizure of south Lebanon's strategic crusader-era Qalaat al-Shqif, also known as Beaufort Castle, by Israeli forces in May. The United Nations is reportedly set to list five south Lebanon castles, including Beaufort and Dubieh, as world treasures under threat during a UNESCO meeting in South Korea.

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He should have brought the people in with him so he could claim victory.

Meanwhile, in Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh, one of the "pilot zones" for Lebanese Army deployment under a Washington-sponsored deal with Israel, residents waited for permission to check on their homes. The army had advised residents to avoid entering until the security situation stabilized. "We will enter the town with our heads held high, thanks to the presence of the Lebanese army," said Abbas Yaghi, 73, a resident. Another resident, Wafaa Ismail, 64, expressed frustration at not being allowed to enter her neighboring village, saying, "He should have brought the people in with him so he could claim victory."

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hostile, provocative act