Al-Manar TV, affiliated with Hezbollah, reported on Friday that traffic has come to a standstill in both directions between Syria and Lebanon after an Israeli missile strike targeted the Masnaa-Jdeideh Yabous route.
The Masnaa crossing witnessed thousands of Lebanese and Syrians crossing from Lebanon into Syrian territory in recent days, fleeing Israeli air raids targeting southern Beirut suburbs, the eastern Bekaa region, and southern Lebanon.
Israeli forces have been conducting extensive aerial attacks across various areas in Lebanon for a week, resulting in hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries, alongside substantial destruction.
Najib Mikati, Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister, stated a few days ago that the ongoing Israeli strikes in Lebanon might have displaced “a million people,” potentially marking the largest displacement in the country’s history.
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.
Lebanese sources have reported that over 200,000 Syrian displaced persons have left Lebanon through both legal and illegal crossings since the escalation of Israeli aggression began.
In statements to the Lebanese newspaper “Al-Akhbar” published, on Thursday, the sources stated, “This data reflects the Syrians’ desire to leave Lebanon under the current circumstances, considering that returning to Syria is a safer option than staying in Lebanon.”
They added that “a large number of those who are sleeping on the streets in Martyrs’ Square and along the Beirut seafront, fleeing areas under Israeli attack, are of Syrian nationality.”
The sources also noted that “the UN Refugee Agency continues to adopt approaches with political backgrounds, appearing ready to do anything but help the Syrian displaced return to their country.”
The agency proposes relocating the Syrian displaced from Bekaa, the South, and the suburbs, including those who have moved to the streets of Beirut, to camps in northern Lebanon.
