JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a videotaped statement on Sunday that he had instructed the military to deepen and expand its grip on Lebanese areas held by Hezbollah.

The instruction followed the capture of the Beaufort Ridge, including the strategic castle at its summit, in southern Lebanon by Israeli forces, an area beyond the "security zone" Israel has maintained since a ceasefire took effect in mid-April.

Netanyahu said that after his directive to expand the maneuver in Lebanon, Israeli forces crossed the Litani River and seized key terrain, including the Beaufort.

He added that the current objective is to consolidate control over these captured positions, calling the seizure of the Beaufort "a dramatic stage and a dramatic shift in the policy we are leading."

The Israeli prime minister said that since the multi-front conflict began in October 2023, Israel has killed 8,000 Hezbollah militants, including 700 in the past month alone.