Israeli airstrike blocks fleeing route from Lebanon to Syria

An Israeli airstrike on October 4 morning targeted the area near Lebanon's Masnaa border crossing with Syria, according to Lebanese Transport Minister Ali Hamieh.

The strike effectively closed off a critical escape route used by hundreds of thousands fleeing Israeli bombardments in recent days, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Hamieh reported that the strike struck within Lebanese territory, creating a crater approximately four meters (12 feet) wide.

An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman had accused the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah 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 throughout this war," IDF spokesman Avichay Adraee stated on X.

In a press conference on October 3, Hamieh emphasized that the crossing falls under the jurisdiction of the Lebanese state. According to government statistics, over 300,000 people — primarily Syrians — have crossed from Lebanon into Syria in the past 10 days to escape the escalating Israeli bombardments.

By Tamilla Hasanova