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Lebanon’s General Security Directorate has announced the closure of all land border crossings with Syria, with the exception of the main crossing at Masnaa, located in the eastern Bekaa Valley. This decision follows an Israeli airstrike that damaged the Arida border crossing in northern Lebanon, which had only recently reopened. The security agency stated that the closures would remain in …

Syrian rebel commander Hassan Abdel Ghani reassured religious minorities on Saturday after Islamist-led forces captured significant territory, including key cities, from the Syrian government. His message, conveyed through Telegram, came as the group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) continued its swift offensive against President Bashar al-Assad’s forces. Abdel Ghani, a senior commander in the rebel alliance, emphasized that the era of …

Hezbollah has reportedly deployed around 2,000 fighters to the strategic town of Qusayr in Syria. This move is significant due to Qusayr’s location, near the Lebanese border, which has made it a focal point for both Syrian government forces and their allies. Qusayr’s capture by Hezbollah-backed forces would strengthen the Syrian government’s control over the border region, which is crucial …

As of December 2024, Syrian rebel forces have advanced to within 20 kilometers of Damascus, marking a significant shift in the ongoing civil war. The rebels, including forces from the Syrian National Army (SNA) and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), have gained ground after launching a series of successful offensives across various regions. These advances have followed the capture of major …

Hezbollah has deployed a small contingent of forces from Lebanon to Syria to assist in the government’s counteroffensive against a surprise insurgent advance toward the crucial city of Homs. According to sources close to Tehran, elite Hezbollah units crossed from Lebanon into Syria overnight and took up positions in Homs to support the Syrian forces. The insurgents, who had captured …

Jebran Bassil, the leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, expressed his support for Hezbollah in defending Lebanon but emphasized that he does not support putting the country at risk. He called for the full enforcement of the ceasefire with Israel and urged Lebanon to avoid getting involved in regional conflicts. In a televised interview, Bassil acknowledged that Lebanon has lost …

The Israeli military announced on Friday that it is bolstering its aerial and ground forces in the occupied Golan Heights in response to the significant progress made by Islamist-led rebel groups in Syria. In a statement, the military emphasized that it is closely monitoring the situation and is prepared for various scenarios, both offensive and defensive. It also made clear …

U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein is set to attend a presidential election session in Lebanon on January 9, as reported by LBCI. According to the media outlet, Hochstein assured Speaker Nabih Berri that he would participate after receiving an invitation during a phone conversation. Berri had previously announced his intention to invite both Arab and foreign ambassadors to the presidential election …