Syria temporarily closed the Masnaa crossing on the Syrian-Lebanese border after the Israeli military issued an evacuation order on Saturday ahead of planned airstrikes.
“Due to Hezbollah’s use of the Masnaa crossing for military purposes and for smuggling weapons, the Israeli army intends to carry out airstrikes on the crossing in the near future,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee said.
“Remaining in this area puts you in danger,” Adraee warned.
Following the IDF warning, the Syrian Authority for Border Crossings and Customs said that it would temporarily close the border crossing.
The agency said that the Masnaa crossing, known as Jdeidet Yabous on the Syrian side, is “designated exclusively for civilian passage.”
“It is not used for any military purposes, there is no presence of any armed groups or militias, and it is not permitted to be used for any activity outside civilian and legal frameworks,” the border authority said.
The reopening of the crossing will be announced “as soon as the situation is confirmed to be stable,” the statement read.
The border crossing was closed last month after fears the area could be targeted by Israeli shelling, but it was reopened after the strikes did not materialize.
