Lebanon says reopening main Syria border crossing closed over Israeli threat

Lebanon has announced the reopening of the Masnaa border crossing with Syria starting Wednesday evening, state media says, after it had been closed for several days due to an Israeli threat to target it.

“The Masnaa crossing will be reopened as of 6:00 pm (1500 GMT) today, with strict measures in place to ensure the safety of passenger and cargo traffic, and equipped with the necessary tools to prevent any smuggling operations,” the state-run National News Agency (NNA) says.

An informed Lebanese government source had earlier told AFP that “intensive efforts were made by both Lebanon and Syria to spare the crossing from the Israeli strike.”

Israel threatened on Saturday to target the crossing, accusing Hezbollah of using it “for military purposes and smuggling of combat equipment”, though it ultimately did not carry out the strike.

The crossing was closed on both sides as a precaution after being evacuated.

The Masnaa crossing is the main gateway between Lebanon and Syria, making it a vital trade route for both countries and Lebanon’s principal overland link to the rest of the region.

The decision to reopen the crossing comes as Israel pressed its strikes on Lebanon on Wednesday, despite announcing its support for a two-week truce between Iran and the United States.