Beaufort castle blasts may have caused damage: Lebanon

Lebanon's culture ministry warned that powerful Israeli detonations near the UNESCO-listed Beaufort castle may have caused damage in the castle's vicinity, after Israel said it destroyed Hezbollah tunnels in the area.

Lebanon's National News Agency said Israeli forces triggered very powerful explosions around midnight in the area of the Beaufort fortress in southern Lebanon. It said the blasts were heard across a large area and shattered glass in nearby villages.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a joint statement that the army destroyed “terror tunnels in the Beaufort area” using about 700 tonnes of explosives.

The Israeli army said the tunnel network served as a central command centre for Hezbollah and included several underground levels built over two decades.

Lebanon's culture ministry said the explosions struck “the area opposite the fortress” and warned that vibrations may have caused damage nearby. It said technical teams could not make an on-site assessment because the site is under Israeli occupation.

An AFP correspondent in a nearby village heard large explosions overnight and saw dust covering a swathe of forest. AFP footage showed dust over the mountaintop near the castle.

The Crusader-era castle was added last week to UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger.

Netanyahu and Katz said the detonations followed what they called a blatant ceasefire violation by Hezbollah. Israel's army had accused Hezbollah on Wednesday of launching an explosive drone at an Israeli military vehicle in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah has not claimed any attacks since a ceasefire with Israel came into force on June 20.

Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally, condemned the detonations. Violence has declined in Lebanon since agreements in June, but Lebanon continues to report Israeli strikes, artillery shelling and building detonations in southern villages.