Israeli strikes on Lebanon border kill six, injure 12, hours before ceasefire

Six people were killed and 12 others injured in Israeli strikes on border crossings with Lebanon, Syria’s defence ministry announced on Wednesday.

strikes occurred just hours before a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel was set to take effect, as announced by US President Joe Biden.

According to the Syrian defence ministry, the Israeli enemy launched an air aggression from Lebanese territory, targeting border crossings between Syria and Lebanon.

“The aggression killed six people, including two soldiers while the rest were civilians, and injured 12 others including children, women and Syrian Arab Red Crescent workers,” the ministry said in a statement.

Lebanon’s transport minister, Ali Hamieh, told Reuters that it was unclear whether the roads had been cut off as a result of the strikes. However, Israeli raids on Lebanon’s eastern crossings in recent weeks had already sealed off those routes into Syria.

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Syria’s state news agency reported that four civilians and two soldiers were killed, and 12 people were wounded, including children, women, and workers in the Syrian Red Crescent.

The Red Crescent said that a volunteer was killed and another was injured in the aggression that targeted Al-Dabousyeh and Al-Arida crossings.

The Israeli strike damaged several ambulances and work points, according to the Red Crescent. Syrian state TV reported that the Israeli strike hit the Arida and Dabousieh border crossings with Lebanon.

The ceasefire, announced by US President Joe Biden, was set to take effect at 4:00 a.m. local time (0200 GMT) on Wednesday. However, the Israeli strikes on the border crossings with Lebanon have raised concerns about the fragility of the ceasefire.

In a statement, Lebanon’s transport minister Ali Hamieh condemned the Israeli strikes, saying that they were a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement. The international community has called for restraint and calm, urging all parties to respect the ceasefire and work towards a lasting peace.

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