Tensions at Lebanon-Syria border crossing: Why the sudden closure and what happens next?

Report by Lara El Hachem, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

The scene at the Jdeidat Yabous crossing has changed dramatically from Thursday to Friday. The border, which had been open on the Syrian side, was closed by Syria's authorities starting Thursday night to Lebanese nationals without explanation or conditions.

As a result, the Lebanese General Security responded by preventing Lebanese citizens from crossing the border, with the crossing remaining open only to Syrians or Lebanese citizens holding Syrian nationality.

A key question remains: What triggered the sudden change?

According to Lebanese security sources, the Syrian decision followed an incident at the crossing on Thursday, when three Syrians entered Lebanon via the Masnaa border crossing in a car. 

They were stopped by the Border Patrol and identified themselves as members of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), claiming they were lost. After searching their car, the army found weapons and opened an investigation that lasted for hours.

Following communication between the Lebanese army and General Security, the individuals were returned to Syria via the crossing. However, by then, the incident had already reached the attention of Syrian authorities. 

According to the Syrian account, the situation was fueled by "grudges," as numerous complaints had reached Syrian authorities about the mistreatment of their citizens in front of Lebanese security forces. 

The incident occurred on Thursday when a border crossing employee was transporting an engineer and a doctor to the Masnaa crossing to continue their journey to Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport.

After completing the entry procedures, when one of the passengers went to the car to retrieve his bag, a weapon belonging to the border employee was discovered inside. The three individuals were then detained by the Lebanese army and reportedly mistreated by Lebanese security forces.

This sparked a reaction from Syrian citizens, prompting the closure of the crossing until an agreement on reciprocal treatment could be reached. The only exception made was for trucks.

Next week, Lt. Col. Ihab Dirani, head of the General Security center at the Masnaa crossing, was scheduled to visit Jdeidat Yabous in response to a previous visit by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham to Lebanese General Security to coordinate procedures. 

However, given the developments, it appears Dirani will delay the visit until the situation is clearer. 

Meanwhile, the information suggests that the Syrian side will not reopen the crossing to Lebanese nationals until a unified procedure for border crossings is agreed upon.

They are demanding that communication with the Lebanese side be limited to one entity to avoid shifting responsibilities between security forces in the event of any incidents.

Will the Lebanese-Syrian relationship improve, or will tensions continue to affect the interests of both nations?