U.S. halts Israeli strike on Syria-Lebanon crossing

Political sources in Israel disclosed that the United States stopped the Israeli bombardment of the Masnaa border crossing between Syria and Lebanon, thereby curbing a plan intended to draw Syria into the war against Hezbollah.

According to the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, the U.S. administration made this request to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shortly after the Israeli army’s Arabic-language spokesperson issued an evacuation warning ahead of a planned strike on the site.

The Israeli army had previously targeted areas near the crossing, claiming that Hezbollah was using the crossing and the nearby M30 highway for military purposes. It also stated it was preparing to strike the crossing and called on all those present to evacuate in preparation for its destruction.

The report added that Israel received a request from the United States to suspend the attack on the crossing for political reasons, leaving the matter to Syrian security officials working on behalf of President Ahmad al-Sharaa.

The broadcaster cited a source familiar with the matter, stating that the Syrian government told the Americans it was acting against Hezbollah and had recently foiled attempts to smuggle weapons from Syria into Lebanon.

However, other sources indicated that the real objective was to pressure Damascus into intervening in the war, despite a similar historical experience in 1976 when Israel allowed the Syrian army (around 20,000 troops) to enter Lebanon—an intervention that led not only to a bloody Lebanese tragedy but also to multiple wars with Israel.

According to sources cited by Maariv, there is growing belief in Israel that Lebanon’s continued failure to confront Hezbollah, along with declining U.S. and Western confidence in Lebanese state institutions, could pave the way for a new regional reality centered on understandings between Israel and the new Syrian leadership regarding the distribution of security responsibilities in Lebanon.

ANHA