The destruction of the border crossings between Lebanon and Syria during Israeli air strikes is causing problems

QUSAIR – A stream of refugees fleeing Lebanon for Syria crossed a narrow makeshift bridge on foot in the Qusair area of ​​Syria’s Homs province on Sunday, after the official border crossing was put out of use by an Israeli attack two days earlier.

There are only three functioning border crossings left between the countries, which share a 375-kilometer (233-mile) border.

At the end of September, the Israel border crossing was hit by an Israeli airstrike Matraba in northeastern Lebanon, forcing the country to close. A few weeks later there was a strike Masnaathe main crossing between the two countries, causing it to be taken out of service. The Jousieh crossing was hit Friday.

The Israeli military has accused the militant group Hezbollah of using the border crossings to move weapons and military equipment from Syria to Lebanon. But humanitarian officials say the border crossing closures have exacerbated an already dire humanitarian crisis by blocking key supply routes and hindering access for those fleeing to safety.

“The situation is a tragedy,” said Ghossoun Mubarak, who fled the city of Baalbek in eastern Lebanon with her three children, describing the bombing that prompted her to leave her home. They crossed on Sunday via the makeshift pedestrian bridge.

The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) said this week that about 430,000 people have crossed from Lebanon into Syria over the past month since Israel launched a major aerial bombardment and ground invasion of Lebanon as part of its attack on Hezbollah. Lebanese officials give a higher estimate of well over half a million people.

Rula Amin, a spokesperson for the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR, expressed concern about the damage to the border crossings, calling them “an important lifeline for people escaping the conflict.”

“Today was better,” said Omar Abu Jabal, 29, who returned to Lebanon via the Jousieh crossing on Sunday after a business trip. “No problems along the way. But before that there were bombings, which prevented people from moving.”

Nabil Aakoul, transport director for Homs province, said the recent strikes destroyed a bridge over the Orontes River, disrupting traffic between vital agricultural areas. Aakoul estimated that rebuilding the bridge will cost about 35 billion Syrian pounds (about $2.5 million at the official exchange rate), while the damage has cut access to agricultural areas and isolated communities that rely on trade and travel on the rivers .

Yahya Abu Youssef, who lives near the damaged bridge, described the strike as “inhumane” and reported injuries to children and livestock in the area. “The only thing here is a bridge connecting villages and farms,” he said, noting that villagers now have to travel another 10 kilometers to reach the city of Homs.