A photo taken from the Syrian side of the border with Lebanon shows the aftermath of an Israeli strike on the Jusiyeh border crossing on Oct. 25, 2024. (Credit: AFP)
A Friday morning Israeli strike, targeting the Syrian side of the border with Lebanon, severed al-Qaa border crossing between the two countries.
"The al-Qaa crossing is out of service after an Israeli strike on Syrian territory, just hundreds of meters from Syrian border guards," Hamieh told AFP, adding that the strike had severed the road for car and truck traffic, leaving Lebanon's northern border crossing as the only operational route to Syria.
According to information obtained by L'Orient Today, the airstrike targeted a bridge in the "Jousiyeh" area and destroyed a nearby cemetery.
Out of three, this is the second border crossing with Syria to be blocked due to Israeli attacks.
On Oct. 3, the Israeli army struck the road leading to the Masnaa crossing, within Lebanese territory, creating a four-meter crater and blocking the route used by hundreds of thousands to flee. Hamieh told Reuters that the crossing was rendered unusable.
Since the escalation of the attrition war in Lebanon, thousands have fled to Syria.
Rula Amin, the UNHCR's Amman-based spokesperson, said she was unaware of any warning being given before the strike, which landed 500 meters from the main border crossing.
Some 430,000 people have crossed from Lebanon to Syria since Israel's campaign started, she said.
"The attacks on the border crossings are a major concern," she said. "They are blocking the path to safety for people fleeing conflict."
