Israel and Hezbollah, an Israeli airstrike on Friday targeted the main border crossing between Lebanon and Syria, further complicating an already dire humanitarian crisis. The strike hit a section of the road near the Masnaa crossing, located 700 meters from the Lebanese checkpoint and approximately five kilometers from the Syrian border. This has effectively cut off vehicle access to what had become a vital route for people fleeing the war-torn region, as well as for the delivery of humanitarian aid.
The Masnaa border crossing has played a critical role in recent days as hundreds of thousands of people, desperate to escape the escalating violence, have sought refuge in neighboring Syria. With over 300,000 people having crossed from Lebanon into Syria in the past 10 days alone, according to Lebanese government statistics, the destruction of this key road has dealt a severe blow to evacuation efforts and the distribution of essential supplies.
Aid workers are particularly concerned about the impact of the road’s closure on both civilian and humanitarian operations. “It will mean that goods which would normally come overland through that crossing—the cheapest, most effective way to bring commodities into that country—will also not be able to be received here,” said Matthew Hollingworth, the director of the United Nations World Food Programme. He further emphasized the urgent need for other routes, particularly in the north of Lebanon, to remain open to ensure the continued movement of people and aid.
Despite the destruction of the road, many people are still making the perilous journey to flee Lebanon on foot. Images from the area depict families clambering over rubble, some scrambling through a four-meter crater created by the airstrike in an attempt to escape the increasing Israeli bombardments. Among those fleeing are a significant number of Syrian nationals who had been living in Lebanon, many of whom are now returning to their homeland to escape the violence.
A Beirut resident described sending her son back to Syria for safety. “I found a lot of people from our neighborhood heading for Syria, so I sent him with them,” she said. As Beirut continues to be heavily bombed, particularly in areas like Dahieh—the Hezbollah stronghold in the southern suburbs—many residents find themselves with no choice but to evacuate.
Israel’s Strategic Targeting of Hezbollah
The Israeli military, in a statement on Friday, said that the airstrike near the Masnaa crossing was part of a broader effort to disrupt Hezbollah’s supply lines. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Hezbollah has been using the Masnaa crossing to smuggle weapons into Lebanon. The IDF accused the militant group of hiding weapons among civilian vehicles and trucks, and called on Lebanon to conduct thorough inspections of cargo crossing the border.
In addition to targeting the road, the IDF also claimed to have hit a 3.5-kilometer underground tunnel between Lebanon and Syria, though the exact location of the tunnel was not specified. This tunnel, according to Israeli authorities, was used by Hezbollah to transport arms and personnel across the border.
Israel’s strikes are part of a larger campaign to dismantle Hezbollah’s infrastructure in Lebanon. The militant group has long posed a significant threat to Israel’s northern borders, and the ongoing conflict has seen a rapid escalation in airstrikes, artillery fire, and ground offensives.
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has reached a devastating new level of violence in recent weeks. Since the fighting escalated just over two weeks ago, more than 2,000 people have been killed in Lebanon by Israeli airstrikes, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. Friday’s airstrikes alone resulted in the deaths of 37 people and left 151 others wounded. Many of the casualties occurred in southern Lebanon, a region that has been heavily targeted due to Hezbollah’s strong presence there.
The Lebanese public health ministry reported that civilians have been disproportionately affected by the attacks, as the airstrikes have destroyed critical infrastructure and residential areas. The strikes near Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport, Lebanon’s only commercial airport, have compounded the challenges for civilians attempting to flee the country. The airport is located near the Hezbollah-dominated southern suburbs of Beirut, which have been a consistent target of Israeli airstrikes throughout the conflict.
Last week, Israeli forces killed Hassan Nasrallah, the long-time leader of Hezbollah, in a strike on Dahieh. Reports suggest that Friday’s strikes were aimed at Hezbollah’s new leadership, specifically targeting Hashem Safieddine, a potential successor to Nasrallah.
Warnings for Southern Lebanon Residents
Amid the ongoing bombardment, Israel’s military issued fresh warnings on Friday to residents of another two dozen towns and villages in southern Lebanon, urging them to leave immediately. The new evacuation orders affect areas further inland, north of the Litani River—approximately 30 kilometers from Israel’s northern border. This river has been a critical geographical marker in past conflicts. In the aftermath of the 2006 Lebanon War, Israel demanded that Hezbollah withdraw its forces to the north of the Litani, in accordance with a United Nations Security Council resolution.
However, there is growing concern within Lebanon that Israel may be preparing to reoccupy parts of southern Lebanon. While Israel has not confirmed such plans, many in Lebanon fear a repeat of the events that followed the 2006 war, when Israeli forces held positions in southern Lebanon for an extended period.
The escalation of violence and the destruction of key infrastructure have exacerbated an already dire humanitarian crisis. Aid organizations, including the United Nations, have warned that the closure of the Masnaa crossing could further strain the delivery of vital supplies to both displaced persons and the broader Lebanese population, which has been struggling under the weight of ongoing economic collapse and political instability.
Matthew Hollingworth of the World Food Programme underscored the critical importance of maintaining open routes for humanitarian access. “We really would press that they remain open because they will be critical for people to leave, and also for humanitarian commodities to come in,” he told. Lebanon has already been grappling with shortages of basic necessities, including food, medicine, and fuel, and the intensification of the conflict threatens to push the country deeper into crisis.
As Lebanon’s economy has crumbled over the past three years, a large portion of the population has been driven into poverty. Many Lebanese citizens, along with the Syrian refugees who had fled to Lebanon during their country’s civil war, now find themselves trapped in a nation at war. With limited access to safe routes out of the country and a diminishing supply of essential goods, their situation has become increasingly desperate.
The renewed fighting in Lebanon threatens to have broader implications for the already volatile Middle East. Syria, itself still recovering from a brutal civil war, has been absorbing tens of thousands of Lebanese refugees in recent days. Jordan and the Gulf States, which also serve as destinations for those fleeing Lebanon, may soon face increased pressure as more people are displaced by the conflict.
The international community has expressed growing concern over the escalation, with calls for a ceasefire and renewed diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict. However, tensions between Israel and Hezbollah continue to run high, with no immediate signs of de-escalation.
In the meantime, humanitarian organizations are preparing for the worst. With the Masnaa crossing now impassable to vehicles, aid workers are scrambling to find alternative routes to deliver supplies to those in need. The fear is that if the fighting continues to intensify, even these alternative routes may become too dangerous or inaccessible, leaving Lebanon on the brink of a full-scale humanitarian disaster.
The destruction of the Masnaa crossing by Israeli airstrikes marks a critical turning point in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. As hundreds of thousands of people attempt to flee Lebanon, the closure of this vital border crossing complicates evacuation efforts and disrupts the flow of essential humanitarian aid. The escalating violence has already claimed thousands of lives, and with no end in sight, the future of Lebanon and its people hangs in the balance.
