According to two Syrian security sources, over 22,000 individuals, primarily Syrians, have crossed the border from Lebanon since the beginning of the week amid heavy Israeli airstrikes.
One Syrian security official reported that more than 6,000 Lebanese and approximately 15,000 Syrians have made emergency crossings through the Jdeidat Yabous crossing over the past three days, up until Thursday morning. Simultaneously, another security source stated that around 1,000 Lebanese and about 500 Syrians entered through the Al-Jousiyeh crossing since Monday.
On Thursday, the Israeli military announced that its fighter jets targeted infrastructure used by Hezbollah along the Syrian-Lebanese border. An official statement from the military indicated, “Recently, Israeli Air Force fighter jets struck infrastructure on the Syrian-Lebanese border that Hezbollah uses to transfer weapons from Syria to Lebanon, which the terrorist organization has utilized against Israeli civilians.”
In a joint statement on Thursday, U.S. President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized the importance of reaching a settlement along the Israel-Lebanon border that ensures security and safety, allowing civilians to return to their homes.
The statement highlighted that the ongoing exchanges of fire since October 7, particularly over the past two weeks, threaten to escalate into a broader conflict and harm civilians.
The statement noted that Washington and Paris have been working in recent days to promote a joint call for a ceasefire to provide an opportunity for diplomacy to succeed and to prevent further escalation along the border.
Countries including Australia, Canada, the European Union, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar have supported this proposal.
