Lebanon’s president says Israeli blasts near castle ‘direct threat’ to recent deal

Crusader-period Beaufort Castle was added last week to Unesco's List of World Heritage in Danger. (EPA Images pic)BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun Friday warned that Israeli detonations near a Unesco-listed castle threatened a recent deal with Israel, which in turn said it had razed Hezbollah tunnels there.Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) reported that "Israeli forces triggered very powerful explosions" overnight, specifically "in the area of the Beaufort fortress", a Crusader-era castle located near the southern border occupied by Israel.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and defence minister Israel Katz said the army had destroyed "terror tunnels in the Beaufort area" using approximately 700 tonnes of explosives.Aoun labelled it "an extremely dangerous escalation" and "a direct threat to the process which was launched as part of the framework agreement" reached with Israel during US-sponsored talks last month, his office said.Under the Israel-Lebanon deal, Lebanon's army is to disarm Hezbollah and the Israeli military is to withdraw from "pilot zones" where Lebanese forces will subsequently deploy.The timing of the blasts ahead of another round of talks with Israel in Rome next week "sends negative messages and undermines international efforts aimed at consolidating stability", Aoun added.The NNA said huge blasts resounded over a large area, shattering glass in nearby villages, while an AFP correspondent heard large explosions and saw dust covering a swathe of forest area.Citing Lebanon's National Centre for Geophysics, Aoun's statement said the detonations "created ground waves equivalent to a 3.8 magnitude earthquake on the Richter scale".Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned "the ongoing Israeli aggressions in the south", including "the damage to archaeological sites... that constitute a precious part of the history of our homeland".'Under occupation'Beaufort Castle was added last week to Unesco's List of World Heritage in Danger.Lebanon's culture ministry said the explosions struck "the area opposite the fortress", warning that "the vibrations from the explosions may have caused damage" in the castle's vicinity.It said technical teams were unable to conduct an on-the-ground assessment because "the site is under occupation".The Israeli army said that "the tunnel network served as a central command centre" for Hezbollah and cons…