Israeli strike closes off road linking Lebanon with Syria
Lebanon says people have used the crossing to flee Israeli fire but Israel says militant group Hezbollah uses it to transport arms into Lebanon
04 October 2024 - 08:09
byMaya Gebeily
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Men stand on the rubble of a building destroyed by an airstrike in the Hezbollah stronghold of Dahieh on October 2 2024 in Beirut, Lebanon. Picture: GETTY IMAGES/CARL COURT.
Beirut, Lebanon — An Israeli strike on Friday morning near Lebanon’s Masnaa border crossing with Syria cut off a road used by hundreds of thousands of people to flee Israeli bombardments in recent days, Lebanon transport minister Ali Hamieh said.
Hamieh said the strike hit inside Lebanese territory near the border crossing, creating a 4m wide crater.
An Israel Defence Forces (IDF) military spokesperson had accused Lebanese militant group Hezbollah on Thursday of using the crossing to transport military equipment into Lebanon.
“The IDF will not allow the smuggling of these weapons and will not hesitate to act if forced to do so, as it has done throughout this war,” IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee said on X.
Hamieh had said at a media conference on Thursday that the crossing was subject to the authority of the Lebanese state.
According to Lebanese government statistics, more than 300,000 people — a vast majority of them Syrian — had crossed from Lebanon into Syria over the last 10 days to escape escalating Israeli bombardment.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Israeli strike closes off road linking Lebanon with Syria
Lebanon says people have used the crossing to flee Israeli fire but Israel says militant group Hezbollah uses it to transport arms into Lebanon
Beirut, Lebanon — An Israeli strike on Friday morning near Lebanon’s Masnaa border crossing with Syria cut off a road used by hundreds of thousands of people to flee Israeli bombardments in recent days, Lebanon transport minister Ali Hamieh said.
Hamieh said the strike hit inside Lebanese territory near the border crossing, creating a 4m wide crater.
An Israel Defence Forces (IDF) military spokesperson had accused Lebanese militant group Hezbollah on Thursday of using the crossing to transport military equipment into Lebanon.
“The IDF will not allow the smuggling of these weapons and will not hesitate to act if forced to do so, as it has done throughout this war,” IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee said on X.
Hamieh had said at a media conference on Thursday that the crossing was subject to the authority of the Lebanese state.
According to Lebanese government statistics, more than 300,000 people — a vast majority of them Syrian — had crossed from Lebanon into Syria over the last 10 days to escape escalating Israeli bombardment.
Reuters
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