Lebanon closes most land border crossings with Syria, keeping only one open

Lebanon has decided to close all but one of its land border crossings with Syria, leaving only the main crossing linking Beirut and Damascus operational, the General Security Directorate announced.

This move came just hours after an Israeli airstrike damaged a northern Lebanese border crossing, which had only recently reopened, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

In a separate development, Jordan's Interior Minister confirmed the closure of the Naseeb border crossing with Syria, citing security concerns on the Syrian side. This follows reports from Syrian opposition activists who claimed insurgents had seized control of the main crossing with Jordan, forcing Syrian authorities to withdraw.

Meanwhile, Israel's military announced plans to bolster its positions in the Golan Heights, which it annexed, as well as along its border with Syria. Israel stated that it was "monitoring developments" and was "prepared for all scenarios, both offensive and defensive."

In Syria, opposition forces made significant advances, entering the central towns of Rastan and Talbiseh early Friday, just north of Homs, moving closer to Syria’s third-largest city. This followed a day after jihadist-led opposition fighters captured Hama, Syria’s fourth-largest city.

In other news, a Hamas official reported that international mediators have resumed talks with the militant group and Israel over a potential ceasefire in Gaza, expressing hope that an agreement to end the 14-month war might soon be reached.

The war between Israel and Hamas has resulted in widespread destruction across Gaza, displacing 90 per cent of its 2.3 million residents, often multiple times. The conflict began in October 2023 when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking approximately 250 hostages.

Israel's subsequent retaliatory offensive has killed at least 44,600 Palestinians, over half of whom were women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which has not provided a breakdown of combatants among the dead. Israel claims to have killed more than 17,000 militants, though it has not provided evidence to support this figure.

By Vafa Guliyeva