Israel’s overnight bombings raze Beirut buildings | Matarbah crossing strike kills 2 Syrian soldiers | Hezbollah drone hits Akka arms company

Israel continues to conduct extensive airstrikes across Lebanon, as its assault on the country enters its second month. 

On Saturday night, the Israeli air force targeted buildings in residential areas of Beirut, razing several buildings and causing severe damage to others, and bombed the Syrian side of the Mataribah border crossing with Lebanon in an attempt to cut off logistical routes used by the resistance forces, according to a Lebanese security source who spoke to Mada Masr on condition of anonymity.

The bombings, which have become a nightly occurrence, caused further displacement of residents in Beirut and left two Syrian soldiers on the border dead. 

On Sunday, Hezbollah released a statement saying that its drones struck a weapons manufacturing facility in Akka earlier in the morning.

Another night of strikes in Beirut

Late on Saturday night the Israeli military issued warnings to residents near several buildings in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital. Bombardment of the city began around two hours after the issuance of the notices, with airstrikes hitting the Hadath-Jamous Street intersection — a popular site crowded with cafes and restaurants.

The bombing of Borj al-Barajneh in the southwestern part of Beirut’s suburbs set fire to several buildings, footage published by the Al-Jadeed news outlet showed. 

The Israeli military said on Sunday morning that it had targeted “terrorist infrastructure for the production and storage of weapons in the southern suburbs of Beirut” — a claim it has issued on multiple occasions prior to targeting homes and businesses across the suburbs.

Over 54,500 people are officially registered as internally displaced in the capital city, according to the latest government figures. The government’s Disaster Risk Management Unit has noted that the number of people displaced is likely much higher than what has been officially registered. 

Syria-Lebanon border strikes

Israel also bombed the Matarba crossing between Lebanon and Syria in the northeastern governorate of Baalbek-Hermel on Saturday night. The attack hit the Syrian side of the border, killing  two Syrian soldiers and injuring five other people, according to the National News Agency. 

Lina Ismail, a Lebanese reporter in Baalbek, told Mada Masr that the strike hit the Syrian side of the border and that those impacted were Syrian nationals, noting that it was difficult to obtain further information from the Syrian side of the crossing. The crossing is now closed to both pedestrians and vehicles. 

The Lebanese security source said that the airstrike left a crater around seven meters in depth at the crossing. 

Both Ismail and the security source said that the Matarba crossing is informal and is used mainly to facilitate informal trade between Syria and Lebanon, alongside a number of other small crossings in the vicinity which have all been hit by Israeli fire.

Multiple crossings between Lebanon and Syria have been targeted since Israel escalated its attacks on Lebanon in mid-September. 

The aim of the bombardment at the borders is to cut Lebanon off from Syria and prevent the resistance from transporting weapons from Iran via Syria, the security source said. 

They estimated, however, that the targeting “will not yield results as long as the resistance has the readiness and full weapons in southern Lebanon, which are enough to fight for years against the Israeli enemy.”

Yet the bombardment at the border crossings is threatening the passage of civilians between the countries, according to a representative of the United Nations agency for refugees who commented on the Israeli bombing of the Joussieh crossing, also known as the Qaa crossing, on Friday. 

Around 344,800 Syrian citizens and over 150,100 Lebanese citizens were displaced into Syrian territory between September 23 and October 23, according to the Lebanese government. 

Hezbollah drone hits arms manufacturer in Akka

Near Akka in Israel, the Israeli press reported that two men sustained injuries due to a drone strike near the Bar Lev industrial area. 

Hezbollah said in a statement on Sunday morning that it had launched a squadron of drones shortly before 8 am at Yodfat, which it described as a military industrial manufacturer to the southeast of Akka.