tar/ sam 🇱🇧 (tfcon orlando)

Dangerous 700-ton explosion by Israel destroys part of UNESCO-listed Beaufort Castle in south Lebanon —— ▪ Israeli occupation forces detonated an estimated 700 tons of explosives beneath the UNESCO-listed Shaqif (Beaufort) Castle in Arnoun overnight, in what the military and prime minister's office claimed was an operation targeting an alleged Hezbollah tunnel network beneath the site. ▪ The massive underground explosion was heard across southern Lebanon, including Saida and Iqlim al-Kharroub, while dust blanketed parts of Nabatieh and the blast shattered windows in homes across nearby towns and villages, according to local residents. ▪ The nearly 900-year-old Crusader-era fortress, one of southern Lebanon's most important archaeological landmarks, has been repeatedly targeted by Israel since 1982. ▪ Lebanon's Directorate General of Antiquities has previously rejected Israeli claims that the site contained Hezbollah infrastructure, calling Israeli maps and videos fabricated, while noting the fortress has been under Lebanese state administration since 2000 and has enhanced protection under the 1954 Hague Convention. ▪ Lebanese Culture Minister Ghassan Salame recently welcomed UNESCO's decision to place Beaufort Castle on its List of World Heritage in Danger, warning it remained at risk after the destruction of Shamaa Castle. ▪Lebanese geologists have also warned that demolitions of this scale near major fault lines could potentially trigger human-induced seismic activity, noting the 700-ton blast far exceeded a 400-ton Israeli demolition in Odaisseh in 2024 that prompted earthquake alerts across northern occupied Palestine and the occupied West Bank. (Al-Manar)