The General Directorate of the Lebanese General Security announced the closure of all northern border crossings with Syria.
In a statement today, Friday, December 6, the directorate stated that the closure of the land crossings came as a result of repeated Israeli attacks on the border crossings between Syria and Lebanon, aimed at “preserving the safety of travelers and arrivals.”
The directorate kept the al-Masnaa border crossing, which corresponds with the Syrian side at the Jdaidet Yabous crossing, open for the movement of entry and exit, especially for Syrian nationals, in accordance with previous temporary exceptional measures and instructions.
Lebanese Minister of Transport Ali Hamieh announced that Israeli strikes targeted two border crossings with Syria in the early hours of the morning.
The Israeli army announced today, Friday, that it targeted sites belonging to the Lebanese Hezbollah on the Syrian-Lebanese border.
Israeli army spokesman Avichai Adraee stated via “X” that warplanes targeted combat means and infrastructure on the border between Syria and Lebanon from the Syrian regime’s side, during an attempt by Hezbollah to smuggle them into Lebanon.
Adraee noted that one of the strikes hit the al-Arida crossing in the countryside of Tartus, and other airstrikes targeted Unit 4400, which is the armament unit of Hezbollah responsible for transporting weapons to Lebanon.
The Syrian Ministry of Defense did not publish any details about the Israeli bombing, but official and local media reported on the shelling.
The Syrian news agency (SANA) confirmed that the al-Arida border crossing between Syria and Lebanon was rendered non-operational again due to the Israeli bombing.
The local Al-Watan newspaper also reported that Israeli aircraft targeted the Jousieh crossing at the Lebanese-Syrian border, in addition to other airstrikes targeting the al-Arida border crossing between Syria and Lebanon.
Israel had previously targeted the al-Arida crossing on November 27, rendering it non-operational, but after rehabilitation, it was reopened on Monday for Lebanese displaced persons to return to their country. However, Israel rendered it non-operational again today, according to Al-Watan.
On November 30, the Israeli army struck the Syrian-Lebanese border strip opposite the al-Qusayr area in the Homs countryside.
Israeli bombings targeted sites in Syria almost daily, but the frequency of the bombings decreased following the announcement of a ceasefire in Lebanon on November 27.
Along the border, there are illegal crossings that have been used over the past years for human, goods, and arms smuggling, in addition to Captagon pills, alongside six legal crossings used for commercial transactions and civilian passage.