War Cuts “Bridges” Between Lebanon and Syria: Second Crossing Out of Service

A border crossing between Lebanon and Syria has gone out of service following an Israeli airstrike, marking the second of three main crossings to be disrupted.

This morning, an Israeli airstrike targeting the Syrian side of the border with eastern Lebanon led to the closure of a border crossing between the two countries, as reported by the Minister of Public Works and Transport, Ali Hamiyeh.

Thus, the Qaa crossing is now the second out of three main crossings to be closed.

Hamiyeh stated: “The Qaa crossing is out of service following an Israeli airstrike on Syrian territory, just a few hundred meters from the Syrian security office” at the crossing known on the Syrian side as Joussé.

He explained that the airstrike blocked the movement of vehicles and trucks, leaving only one main crossing between the two countries still operational.

On October 4, the Israeli army bombed the Masnaa border area in eastern Lebanon, leading to the closure of the main border crossing between Lebanon and Syria, after tens of thousands of Lebanese and Syrian refugees used it to flee Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon.

At that time, the Israeli army claimed it had destroyed a tunnel under the Lebanese-Syrian border that Hezbollah was using “to transport many weapons” for use in southern Lebanon.

It warned that it “would not allow the smuggling of these weapons and would not hesitate to act if necessary.”

The airstrike created a very large hole in the ground, according to AFP photographers. The situation worsened after new strikes in recent days, leaving the Lebanese authorities unable to rehabilitate the crossing for reopening.

Dozens of people are still crossing the border on foot.

The Masnaa crossing is Lebanon’s main land gateway to the Arab world. It facilitates the movement of goods and exported agricultural products, in addition to passenger traffic to and from Syria.

Since the recent escalation of Israeli attacks on Hezbollah strongholds on September 23, nearly half a million people, mostly Syrians, have fled Lebanon towards Syria, according to Lebanese authorities.