The Lebanese Parliament’s National Defense, Interior and Municipalities Committee has proposed sending a high-level delegation to Syria on Tuesday, to enhance direct coordination and prevent further border escalation.
The delegation would include Minister of Foreign Affairs Youssef Rajji, Defense Minister Michel Menassa and top security chiefs, who would meet with their Syrian counterparts to establish joint liaison committees at key border points, including Akkar, Hermel, Arsal and Masnaa.
The proposal came during a committee meeting on Tuesday, chaired by MP Jihad Samad, which focused on the deteriorating security situation along Lebanon’s northern and eastern borders. Following the session, Samad held a press conference, stressing the need for immediate Lebanese-Syrian cooperation to contain the growing instability.
The meeting was attended by senior security officials, including the heads of the Internal Security Forces (ISF), General Security, State Security and Lebanese Army Intelligence.
Border Stability and Resolution 1701
Samad emphasized that Lebanon’s overall security is interconnected, warning that “any security incident in one area reverberates across the entire country.” The committee also reiterated the importance of fully implementing UN Resolution 1701, calling for Israel’s withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory. Lawmakers insisted that the resolution must be enforced on both sides, not unilaterally.
Refugee Repatriation and Economic Strain
Addressing the impact of the refugee crisis, Samad stressed the need to repatriate Syrian refugees, arguing that they “oversaturate Lebanon’s labor market, further straining the country’s economic conditions.”
Bodies of Two Lebanese Brothers Handed Over
Meanwhile, An-Nahar daily reported that Syria’s new administration agreed to hand over the bodies of two Lebanese brothers, Mohammad and Ahmad Nouris Medlej, to the Lebanese Red Cross at the Josseh border crossing on Tuesday evening. The two men were killed by Syrian forces on Monday during border clashes.
Lebanese Army Secures Border Crossings
In response to the escalating violence, Lebanese Army (LAF) units have begun closing illegal border crossings in the Hermel area, which are used for smuggling activities. This includes the official Matarba crossing near the dam, where the Army is erecting earthen berms and bolstering its military presence.
On Tuesday, the LAF also began preparations to enter neighborhoods in Hosh al-Sayyed Ali on the Lebanese side, following the incursion of regular forces from the Syrian Army and General Security.
The LAF’s entry into the area follows an agreement between the intelligence services of both countries. This came after a phone call between Lebanese Defense Minister Michel Menasa and his Syrian counterpart Marhaf Abu Qasra, which resulted in a ceasefire and the withdrawal of armed groups from both sides.
Resumption of Clashes Near Al-Qasr
In the evening, exchanges of fire resumed on both sides of the border. The Syrian state news agency SANA reported that Hezbollah, based in the Lebanese town of Al-Qasr, targeted homes in the villages of Zeita and Al-Masryia, west of Homs, with artillery shells and heavy machine guns, while a shell landed near a Lebanese Army position at the entrance of the town.
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