Israel army urges evacuation of Syria-Lebanon crossing ahead of strikes

The Israeli military said on Saturday it would strike the main crossing between Syria and Lebanon, urging people to evacuate immediately.

Israel has carried out strikes across Lebanon and launched a ground invasion in the south since March 2, when the Iran-backed Hezbollah entered the war in the Middle East.

"Due to Hezbollah's use of the Masnaa Crossing for military purposes and smuggling of combat equipment, the IDF (army) intends to carry out strikes on the crossing in the near future," said the military's Arabic-Language spokesman, Avichay Adraee.

"For your safety, we urge everyone near the crossing and anyone in the area marked in red on the map to evacuate immediately," he wrote on X, sharing the marked map.

A Lebanese security source at the Masnaa border crossing told AFP they were "currently evacuating the crossing following the Israeli threat".

In Syria, the General Authority for Borders and Customs' public relations director, Mazen Aloush, said the crossing, known as Jdeidet Yabous on the Syrian side, was "exclusively for civilian use and is not used for any military purposes".

Aloush added that "in light of the circulating warnings and out of concern for the safety of travellers, traffic through the crossing will be temporarily suspended until any potential risks subside".

The Masnaa crossing is the main crossing between Lebanon and Syria, making it a vital trade route for both countries and Lebanon's main land gateway to the rest of the region.

Israel previously struck the crossing in October 2024, during its previous war with Hezbollah.

The crossing remained closed until Lebanese and Syrian authorities began repair works after a ceasefire the following month.