Lebanon’s acting Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, has directed the Lebanese army and General Security to reinforce stringent security protocols along the Lebanese-Syrian border.
This decision follows Israeli warnings concerning the Masnaa crossing, alleging its use for arms trafficking into Lebanon.
In a statement released by the Lebanese government, Mikati discussed these directives during a phone call with Lebanese Army Commander General Joseph Aoun and the acting Director-General of General Security, Major General Elias El-Bizri, on Thursday.
General Aoun affirmed that the army is implementing rigorous security measures at border crossings, particularly at the Masnaa crossing.
Earlier the same day, the Israeli military accused Hezbollah of attempting to use this civilian border passage to transport combat equipment into Lebanon.
The Israeli military has urged Lebanon to conduct thorough inspections of trucks passing through civilian crossings and to return any vehicles found carrying combat materials to Syria.
They emphasized their readiness to act if necessary to prevent the smuggling of these combat materials.
Last Saturday, the Israeli army had also hinted at potential strikes on Beirut Airport in response to escalating tensions with Hezbollah. The Israeli military stated that it would not permit arms transfers to Hezbollah, including through Beirut International Airport.
They declared their awareness of Iranian weapon shipments to Hezbollah and their efforts to thwart them.
Israeli air force jets are currently patrolling the area around Beirut Airport. The Israeli military concluded by stating, “We will not allow enemy aircraft carrying weapons to land at the civilian airport in Beirut. This is a civilian airport for civilian use and must remain so.”
Lebanon’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York announced that it has filed a formal complaint with both UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the Security Council following an Israeli invasion that breached Lebanese sovereignty.
