Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon. Photo Credit: IDF
April 7, 2026
Arab News
By Najia Houssari
Syrian intervention helped halt a planned Israeli strike on the Masnaa border crossing between Lebanon and Syria, a vital commercial and civilian lifeline, Lebanese officials told Arab News on Monday.
Israel had issued warnings that it would target the crossing and the international road linking Lebanon to Syria, prompting urgent diplomatic contacts involving Beirut, Damascus and Washington to prevent the strike.
A Lebanese official source said Lebanese and Syrian authorities communicated with relevant parties after the Israeli threat, stressing that the crossing is used by thousands of civilians and is Lebanon’s main overland trade route to Arab countries.
Public Works and Transport Minister Fayez Rasamny told Arab News that the Masnaa crossing is subject to strict security oversight and coordination between Lebanese and Syrian authorities.
“The Masnaa crossing is under full supervision and monitoring by Lebanese security forces, where inspections, checks and scans are carried out with the utmost seriousness and discipline,” he said.
Rasamny denied claims about possible smuggling operations, particularly of weapons, as “not based on any factual evidence, given the strict security measures and coordination between the Lebanese and Syrian authorities.”
The Israeli army had warned travelers and residents to evacuate the crossing area and the M30 international road, claiming Hezbollah was using the crossing for military purposes and weapons smuggling.
However, security sources at the crossing said Hezbollah no longer uses the Masnaa route, particularly after political and security changes in Syria altered control and oversight along the border.
“Since the fall of the previous regime in Syria, Lebanon’s official land crossings have lost their security function for Hezbollah. The group has retreated from using the Masnaa crossing, which it had previously considered a main route,” a security source told Arab News.
Authorities on both sides of the border took precautionary measures within hours of the Israeli warning, moving trucks, transferring detainees and clearing administrative offices and equipment from the crossing area to minimize risks in event of an attack.
Syrian authorities also cooperated by allowing stranded trucks to return to Syrian customs yards, while traffic through the crossing was suspended until the threat subsided.
The Masnaa–Jdeidet Yabous crossing is currently the only operational land crossing between Lebanon and Syria and is Lebanon’s main land route for trade, agriculture, tourism and transit to other Arab countries.
Economic groups warned that any closure or destruction of the crossing would have severe consequences for Lebanon’s already collapsing economy.
Ibrahim Tarchichi, head of the Bekaa Farmers’ Association, said all trucks passing through Masnaa are subject to thorough inspections by several Lebanese security agencies.
“Closing Masnaa would harm all of Lebanon — commercially, touristically, industrially and agriculturally — as it is the only land route connecting Lebanon to Arab countries,” he said.
“More than 300 trucks pass through Masnaa daily, carrying over 5,000 tonnes of goods in imports and exports. The threat to close the crossing marks a turning point in this devastating war we are living through,” he added.
Israel previously targeted the crossing during the 2024 war, rendering it unusable for vehicles and trucks until it was repaired after the conflict.
The latest threat comes as Israel continues its military campaign in Lebanon after Hezbollah’s entry into the regional conflict,, raising fears that key infrastructure linking Lebanon to the outside world could increasingly be targeted.
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