DAMASCUS: When Israel bombed the Lebanese-Syrian border, it disrupted a crucial route for many Syrians relying on it for international travel, healthcare, and imported goods. Lebanon’s main border crossing with Syria, known as Masnaa, has become unsafe; travelers now must navigate a massive crater in the road that is 10 meters (32 feet) deep and 30 meters (nearly 100 feet) wide.
On October 4, Israel targeted the area, accusing the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah of using the crossing to transport military supplies from Iran, through Syria, into Lebanon. This attack has made it more challenging for those fleeing the conflict in Lebanon to reach Syria.
The Israel-Hezbollah conflict escalated last month after a series of exchanges over the ongoing war in Gaza. Reem al-Ajami, a 67-year-old Syrian woman who had just undergone surgery in Damascus, hired a car to reach the crossing in hopes of flying from Beirut to visit her daughter in Greece—an impossible journey via Syrian airports, which have been closed since the civil war began in 2011.
“When we reached the crater, Red Crescent volunteers helped me cross in a wheelchair,” Ajami recounted, noting the stream of people heading the opposite direction to escape the violence in Lebanon. She almost fell from her wheelchair while being pushed across the rugged terrain.
The journey cost Ajami $400, significantly more than the $320 plane ticket she purchased from Beirut to Athens. Masnaa is a key international route linking Beirut and Damascus, yet Israeli airstrikes continue to target the area around it.
Despite the risks, Lebanon reports that over 460,000 people have crossed into Syria since September 23, most of whom are Syrian nationals. The cost of the trip has skyrocketed from $100-$150 to between $400 and $500, according to local taxi driver Ali al-Mawla.
“You have to change cars, cross the crater, and face the dangers on the road,” Mawla explained, detailing why drivers demand three times the original fare. However, business remains steady because the crossing is vital for both nations, serving as a lifeline for Lebanon’s exports.
With Syria under sanctions, many Syrians depend on the crossing to access visas or purchase goods unavailable in their own country. “Our cars heading to Damascus were always loaded with foreign medicines and technical equipment,” Mawla said.
The strike has also affected the Syrian economy, leading to fuel shortages and driving up prices on the black market. Since the bombing, the price of a liter of fuel has surged from 20,000 Syrian pounds (about $1.50) to 30,000, resulting in increased transport costs as well.
