Syria mobilizes militarily on its border with Lebanon and closes the 'Al-Arida' crossing between the two countries
Tel Aviv rejects expansion of experimental zones... Beirut fears Israeli occupation’s delay beyond legislative elections
Beirut – “Al-Siyasa” – by Omar Al-Bardan
In a move that brought to mind former US President Donald Trump’s suggestion that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad confront Lebanese Hezbollah instead of Israel, and despite repeated Syrian denials of any intention to intervene militarily in Lebanon, the Syrian army announced a state of military alert among a large number of its units along the border with Lebanon. While Syrian sources attributed the alert to efforts to counter smuggling operations, the timing of the alert, which coincided with Syrian military buildups along the border with Iraq, raises many questions about its reasons and implications, and whether it is part of deterrence and readiness enhancement or a prelude to potential military operations.
While no official Lebanese comment has been issued on the matter, Lebanese military sources confirmed to “Al-Siyasa” that there is no cause for concern regarding the Lebanese-Syrian border, noting that coordination remains in place between Beirut and Damascus on addressing border issues and combating smuggling from both sides. Meanwhile, Syrian sources stated that orders were issued to raise the state of readiness among military formations deployed along the eastern and western borders, coinciding with the dispatch of significant military reinforcements toward the border with Iraq and the movement of other convoys toward the Lebanese border strip. Sources monitoring developments in Damascus clarified that these movements are part of deterrence and border control measures and carry no aggressive signals.
In a related development, and in a surprising move, the General Authority for Borders and Customs in Syria announced the complete closure of the Arida border crossing with Lebanon to passenger traffic for 15 days, effective today. Mazen Alloush, the director of relations at the authority, attributed the closure decision to the commencement of artistic works on the final section of the crossing’s bridge from the Lebanese side, as part of ongoing rehabilitation efforts. However, the move sparked surprise and concern on the Lebanese side.
Concurrently, the Lebanese Army Command announced the dismantling of a smuggling network transporting Grad rockets from Syria into Lebanon. It stated that the Directorate of General Security conducted raids in the town of Arsal, seizing a large quantity of military ammunition as part of ongoing investigations into the network smuggling Grad rockets from Syria to Lebanon. The Command clarified in a statement that the operations followed the seizure of a unit of 122mm Grad rockets by the Lebanese Army in Arsal, after they had been smuggled from Syrian territory into Lebanon. It noted that the seized weapons were handed over, emphasizing that follow-up efforts continue to arrest the remaining individuals involved in the smuggling network.
Meanwhile, although Israel reversed its initial refusal to discuss the land demarcation file with Lebanon on the first day of the seventh round of talks held in Rome, it showed no willingness to expand the experimental zones in the south, backed by a US position that anticipated the current negotiation round. This stance was expressed by US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Aoun, sparking considerable questions within Lebanese official and political circles, which were surprised by Ambassador Aoun’s remarks just days after the US-Lebanese summit held at the White House between Presidents Donald Trump and Joseph Aoun.
According to "Al-Siyasa’s" information from sources within the Lebanese negotiating delegation in Beirut, Israel rejected a Lebanese request to expand the experimental zones, citing numerous flimsy and illogical reasons, as part of its effort to buy time and avoid implementing the commitments it undertook under the framework agreement’s provisions. The Israeli negotiating delegation firmly rejected any discussion on expanding the experimental zones to include the cities of Bint Jbeil and Khiam.
Based on this information, it became clear from the course of the talks that Israel’s hardline stance in the negotiation process has intensified more than ever, following Washington’s cautious position on pressuring Israel to expand the circle of experimental zones, urging against rushing matters. This position, voiced by the US Ambassador to Lebanon, led the Lebanese negotiating delegation to observe that for every step forward Israel takes, it retreats two steps in subsequent negotiation sessions. This is in itself a highly negative indicator, clearly showing that Israel continues its delaying and stalling tactics employed since the start of the negotiation process. Moreover, the Lebanese political leadership has grown seriously concerned that Israel will not take any withdrawal step from the south before the scheduled legislative elections in the entity, considering that any such move would constitute a setback for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and could have negative repercussions on his electoral standing.
Yesterday, the seventh round of talks continued on its second day with three separate meetings addressing the border file, the military track, and the political aspect, according to information conveyed by sources at Baabda Palace. Regarding the border file, the Lebanese delegation completed its presentation of its position, submitting all international documents and papers related to the Lebanese border, starting from 1923, through the Armistice Line, up to the Blue Line, within the context of the current border reality. According to sources, the Lebanese presentation was robust and received commendation from the US side, which expressed appreciation for the submitted documents and approaches.
It is understood that the Lebanese delegation called for a renewed discussion on Israel’s commitment to the ceasefire according to the formula agreed upon on June 26, including the cessation of house demolition, excavation, blasting, and destruction operations. The Lebanese discussion was not limited to objecting to explosions; the delegation also proposed practical alternatives for dealing with tunnels or facilities instead of relying on Israel’s practice of detonating them.
