BEIRUT- On September 27, the Israeli regime announced the imposition of a military blockade on Lebanon under the pretext of “preventing Hezbollah from rearming through Syria and Iran”, so it bombed most of the border crossings – regular and irregular – which completely disabled these crossings extending over an area of 375 kilometers.

At the same time, the occupation regime is trying to disrupt the operation of Beirut International Airport by threatening incoming aircraft and carrying out airstrikes near it.

Until November 6, 2024, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the aggressor regime targeted the crossings between Lebanon and Syria 32 times. The regular crossings targeted are Masnaa which was struck two times, Jussiyeh and Matraba.
 
There are only 6 official crossings between Syria and Lebanon, some of which are designated for the movement of people and goods, and some are chosen for the movement of passengers only. They are Al-Masnaa, Al-Qaa-Jousieh, Al-Aboudieh, Al-Arida, Talkalakh and Matraba crossings.

The crossings labeled as “irregular” are usually used by residents on both sides to exchange goods and move to schools and fields. They are like regular roads within one town divided by border maps, exactly like the village of Hosh al-Sayyid Ali in which about 4,000 dunams of it is inside Lebanon and about a thousand dunams in Syria.

On October 5 and 22, Israel bombarded the Jdeidet Yabous Crossing, aka the Masnaa Crossing, which sees a daily influx of thousands of Lebanese and Syrians fleeing the war in Lebanon to safer places in Syria and Iraq. The attacks left a 4-meter (12-foot) crater in it and put it out of service.  The bulldozers that were trying to repair it were targeted too.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, about 52% of the displaced people across the border fled through the Jdeidet Yabous crossing, reaching more than 470,000 people. He said this crossing is the main artery for the movement of people and goods between Lebanon and Syria.

In 2023, Lebanon imported about $344 million worth of goods, such as electrical appliances, cars, plastic products, aluminum, etc. through it. Lebanon exported $176 million through it; the most important exports were fruits with a value of $29 million.

The Jussieh crossing is about 40 kilometers away from the city of Homs, which is an important commercial and administrative center. For the Lebanese, the crossing is a major point for transporting goods. In late 2012, the crossing was completely closed due to clashes with terrorist Takfiri groups in the Qusayr area. It was then reopened in 2017.

The Jussieh crossing was bombed on October 25, killing 3 Syrian security personnel. The targeting put the crossing completely out of service. It was targeted again on October 28, causing severe damage. The crossing resumed its work, partially, on October 29. 
On November 1, Israeli aircraft targeted it again and Ali Hamieh, the Public Works and Transport Minister in the Lebanese caretaker government, announced the closure of the crossing again. 

In a post on the X platform, Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, for his part, said: “Even fleeing (and taking care of those who flee) are becoming difficult and dangerous as the war continues to spread.”
 
On September 26 and 27, the Israeli Air Force bombarded the Matraba crossing that connects the Qusayr area from the Syrian side to the Hermel region in Lebanon, putting it out of service after sustaining significant material damage. It was then bombed again on October 26.

This crossing was opened in 2022 to facilitate movement, as about 10,000 Lebanese had to travel more than 40 kilometers to reach the Qaa crossing or the Masnaa crossing, mainly for trade, religious tourism, or treatment in Syria. 

On October 3, the Zionist regime bombed the “irregular” Janta crossing that connects Syrian territory from the Damascus countryside with the outskirts of Nabi Sheet. 

On October 10, it bombed another crossing in the town of Qasr near the city of Qusayr, which is used for the passage of agricultural vehicles and students and the sale of agricultural products (used by more than 30,000 Lebanese).