Berlin, June 1 : German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul expressed "great concern" over the further advance of the Israeli army in southern Lebanon, urging all conflict parties to immediately cease hostilities and return to an agreed ceasefire.

In a statement, Wadephul noted that while the Israeli military action is a reaction to ongoing attacks by Hezbollah on northern Israel, any further escalation will aggravate an already tense situation and trigger new waves of displacement within Lebanon.

If civilians are the ones who pay the price of a military escalation and parts of Lebanon become permanently uninhabitable, it will not make Israel's neighborhood safer in the long term, he said.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Sunday said it had captured Beaufort Castle after entering the Beaufort Ridge and Wadi al-Saluki areas in southern Lebanon.

According to the IDF, the operation is focused on establishing operational control over the Beaufort Ridge and the Wadi al-Saluki area, as well as degrading Hezbollah's capabilities in the region.

"Last night, our heroic fighters captured the Beaufort Castle. They proudly raised the flag of the State of Israel and the flag of the Golani Brigade there," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday.

"I remind you that 44 years ago, this place was a symbol of a heroic battle by our fighters, but it was also a symbol of deep division among us. Today, we returned to Beaufort differently. We returned united, determined and stronger than ever," he added.

According to the IDF, Hezbollah directed military and combat activities from the Beaufort Ridge and carried out numerous attacks from the area.

Prime Minister Netanyahu also said he had instructed the IDF to expand its incursion into Lebanon.

"Our forces have crossed the Litani River. They took dominant terrain. They captured the Beaufort Ridge. And now my instruction is to deepen and expand our hold on places that were under Hezbollah's control," Netanyahu said.

He also described the capture of Beaufort as a dramatic stage and a significant shift in the policy being pursued by his government.

/IANS