Story perspectives

IDF detonates 700-tonne blast near historic Beaufort Castle, triggers quake

8/4/2026

Summary

Story summary

The Israel Defense Forces detonated 700 tonnes of explosives near Beaufort Castle on 30 July 2024, registering a magnitude-3.8 earthquake, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said it targeted terror tunnels built with Iranian assistance.
President Joseph Aoun condemned the blast, saying it endangers the 12th-century Beaufort Castle.
Five Lebanese soldiers were lightly wounded by a suspicious explosive device in Kafra, which the IDF said it did not strike.

History

Historical Context

Israel’s 34-day 2006 Lebanon War began on 12 July 2006, when Hezbollah’s cross-border raid triggered an Israeli air campaign that hit many Hezbollah targets and killed roughly 1,200 civilians, prompting UN Resolution 1701 to demand Hezbollah’s disarmament. On 30 July 2024 the IDF detonated 700 tonnes of explosives near Beaufort Castle, citing Iranian-backed tunnels and renewing calls for tighter rules on subterranean strikes.

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Story summary

The Israel Defense Forces detonated 700 tonnes of explosives near Beaufort Castle on 30 July 2024, registering a magnitude-3.8 earthquake, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said it targeted terror tunnels built with Iranian assistance.
President Joseph Aoun condemned the blast, saying it endangers the 12th-century Beaufort Castle.
Five Lebanese soldiers were lightly wounded by a suspicious explosive device in Kafra, which the IDF said it did not strike.

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