Syrian border realities shift as Lebanese families revisit long-abandoned villages

Report by Lara El Hachem, English adaptation by Mariella Succar

LBCI entered the Jussiyeh crossing, located next to the al-Qaa border, as the first media outlet since the fall of the Assad regime. 

The crossing is under the control of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), who face Lebanese security forces across from them.

In the village of Rabla, located southwest of Homs,  where records show 200 Lebanese families in church archives, a sense of disillusionment lingers among minorities who once believed they were protected under Assad's rule. 

Coordination between local authorities, the church, and HTS aims to prevent sectarian or political tensions.

In the neighboring Alawite village of Al-Husseibiya, Abu Yasser, a disabled man, recounted the difficult journey to Rabla and then to Hermel following the regime's fall before returning home under HTS guarantees.

HTS, involved in military operations, maintains checkpoints and security offices, including one located at the Ba'ath Party headquarters. 

Efforts to cross into the Syrian villages of Qasr and Hermel, home to Lebanese families, were thwarted by destroyed bridges due to Israeli airstrikes and ongoing clashes between armed groups and local tribes.

However, makeshift wooden bridges still provide access for some to check on their homes after 13 years of displacement caused by Hezbollah and the Syrian army's control over the area.

With the new Syrian flag now flying over official buildings along the Syria-Lebanon border, hope remains for a more stable and secure future, one that may eventually come to fruition.