The Israeli strikes that hit overnight, Wednesday to Thursday, the outskirts of the villages of Hosh al Sayyed Ali and al-Mashrafa on the Lebanese-Syrian border in northeastern Lebanon marked a new episode in a series of attacks increasingly targeting eastern Lebanon, in parallel with ongoing escalation on the southern front.
The strikes were repeated on Friday in eastern Lebanon, where an Israeli drone carried out two air strikes near the city of Baalbek. No casualties were reported.
In a statement, the Israeli army said its aircraft had struck four crossings in the Hermel area on the border between Syria and Lebanon that it said were used by Hezbollah to transport military equipment.
The strikes have refocused Israeli military planning on the eastern border, underscoring concerns over border crossings and the region’s lack of population stability.
The targeted area lies within an open geographic border strip that has been repeatedly struck, indicating a gradual transformation into a zone of indirect pressure used to convey security messages beyond the immediate tactical framework, without sliding into a full-scale confrontation.
Abandoned village and closed crossings
The mayor of Hosh al Sayyed Ali, Mohammad Nasr al-Din, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the strikes did not hit any inhabited areas, noting that the village has been deserted for a long time.
He said all crossings in the area had already been closed and unusable before the strikes, on both the Lebanese and Syrian sides, adding that there was no crossing or smuggling and that the village was completely empty of residents.
Nasr al-Din said the Syrian side and the Lebanese army prevent passage through these crossings, making the strikes puzzling.
He said the damage was limited to material losses, including roads and some nearby facilities, as well as damage to a main bridge in the area.
He added that residents of Hosh al Sayyed Ali have been displaced for some time, with most currently living in Hermel and surrounding areas, some in tents or garages, under difficult humanitarian conditions.
Preventing the rebuilding of capabilities
The strike on Hosh al Sayyed Ali and what are known as illegal crossings fall within the framework of daily Israeli escalation aimed at cutting off any potential supply lines to Hezbollah and preventing it from rebuilding its military structure, retired Brigadier General Saeed Qazzah told Asharq Al-Awsat.
He said Israel has for some time pursued a policy of systematically tracking anything it considers logistical or military support routes for Hezbollah.
Qazzah said claims of full control over borders and crossings remain theoretical, noting that smuggling cannot be completely eliminated between any two countries, even with army deployments and strict monitoring.
He said intercepting one arms shipment necessarily means others may have passed, as smuggling by nature cannot be fully prevented.
Qazzah noted that Israel says Hezbollah is smuggling weapons from Syria, while facts on the ground show Syrian security forces intercepting arms shipments heading from Syria into Lebanon.
He said Israel is pursuing all means of transporting military equipment from Syria to Hezbollah in order to prevent it from rebuilding its capabilities.
Israeli escalation
Qazzah said the developments are not limited to a narrow military signal, adding that all indicators suggest Israeli escalation is likely to be broad and extensive.
He said Israel will not allow Hezbollah to return to the period between 2006 and 2023, when it monitored the growth of the group’s military capabilities and built a target bank before deciding on confrontation.
He added that Israel was fully aware of Hezbollah’s military buildup during those years and had wagered that it would remain within the framework of internal deterrence, before shifting to the option of wide-scale strikes and the destruction of heavy weapons depots.
He stressed that Israel will not allow Hezbollah to rebuild militarily by any means, whether by pursuing known or newly discovered facilities or by targeting potential supply routes.
Qazzah said Israel could continue striking all sources of Hezbollah’s strength across all Lebanese territory without limiting targets to a specific area, adding that the actions also fall within a framework of sustained pressure on Lebanon to push it toward the next phase, namely, confining weapons north of the Litani River.
