The Arida border crossing, between Lebanon and Syria, again bombed by Israel on Dec. 6, 2024. (Credit: Photo courtesy of our correspondent, Sarah Abdallah)
Following airstrikes at dawn on Friday targeting several border crossings between Lebanon and Syria, the Lebanese General Security, responsible for entry and exit procedures, announced the closure of all border infrastructure, except for the Masnaa crossing. The bombardments targeted official and illegal posts in the North and Bekaa, which had already been struck numerous times throughout the war in Lebanon and after the cease-fire took effect. The Israeli army claimed to have targeted Hezbollah's "smuggling routes."
In a message on X, the General Security (GS) announced the closure of land border crossings between Lebanon and Syria, except for the Masnaa crossing in the Bekaa, due to “repeated” Israeli strikes on these infrastructures in recent weeks. The GS stated the crossings would remain closed "until further notice, in order to preserve the safety of travelers". It added that the Masnaa border crossing would remain operational, “particularly for Syrian nationals, in line with the temporary exceptional procedures previously circulated."
Material damage to border crossings
At around 3 a.m. in the north, loud explosions were heard following Israeli strikes on the border post of Arida, a coastal village at the country’s northern tip of the country, and the bridge over the al-Kabir River, according to our local correspondent. This border post had been under repair since it was bombed a few hours before the cease-fire took effect on Nov. 27. The Israeli strike hit the Syrian side of the bridge, our correspondent added, and crossings through this border crossing were once again interrupted due to extensive damage to the infrastructure. In the village of Arida, the explosions from the multiple Israeli missiles damaged several homes, shattering windows. Fishing boats were also damaged, with some still buried under the rubble of the bridge. The restoration work completed over the past week has been undone.
In the Bekaa, the Qaa-Jousseh and al-Qasr border crossings in Hermel, as well as several illegal crossing points, were also bombed and rendered inoperable, reported our regional correspondent. The Qaa border crossing has been reopened on Sunday by the caretaker Lebanese Public Works Minister Ali Hamieh.
So far, there have been no reports of casualties.
Israeli army claims bombing Hezbollah's ‘arms smuggling routes’
For its part, the Israeli army announced on Friday morning that it had bombed "arms smuggling routes and other terrorist infrastructure near the border between Lebanon and Syria." These routes were used to deliver "combat equipment to Hezbollah" and the strikes "are a further measure to weaken the capabilities of Unit 4400, responsible for arms transfers," according to a message posted on X by the Israeli army's Arabic-language spokesman, Avichay Adraee. The map published alongside Adraee’s post identified targets, including the Arida border post, an area of Akkar bordering the Syrian province of Homs, and the Hosh al-Sayyed Ali region in Hermel.
The official Syrian agency Sana reported that "the Arida border crossing between Syria and Lebanon [was] once again out of service due to an Israeli attack that targeted it" early on Friday.
The cease-fire, which came into effect on Nov. 27, put an end to the war in Lebanon which killed more than 4,000 people in Lebanon. Israel has repeatedly violated the truce by carrying out several strikes in Lebanon — resulting in civilian casualties — while at times accusing Hezbollah of using civilian infrastructures to smuggle weapons. On Monday, Hezbollah fired two mortar shells on Israeli military sites in the disputed Kfar Shuba hills, which the group claims were in response to repeated Israeli violations.