Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Tuesday evening that the cabinet had approved a ceasefire agreement with Lebanon, but also warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad against “playing with fire.”
In a televised address, Netanyahu stated, “I will present tonight to the cabinet the outlines of a ceasefire agreement with Lebanon.” He added, however, that the duration of the ceasefire would depend on the situation in Lebanon, suggesting that the agreement might be a temporary truce, not a permanent resolution.
“The war will not end until we achieve all our goals, until we return the residents of the north to their homes,” Netanyahu emphasized.
Netanyahu’s Warning to Bashar al-Assad
The Israeli Prime Minister also addressed the ongoing conflict with Iran’s proxies in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. He specifically warned Assad against allowing weapons to pass through Syria to Hezbollah, saying, “Don’t play with fire,” and vowing to destroy the Syrian regime if it continued to support Hezbollah.
Earlier in the day, Israeli warplanes conducted airstrikes targeting sites in the northern and western countryside of Homs. Syrian state news agency SANA reported that Israeli aggression struck two villages in the region, though it did not provide further details.
Israeli Airstrikes Target Border Crossings
On Wednesday morning, Israeli fighter jets launched airstrikes on border crossings between Lebanon and Syria, rendering them inoperable just hours before the ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah was set to take effect.
SANA reported that Israeli raids targeted the Arida crossing in Tartous and the Dabousiya crossing in Homs, both located on the Syrian-Lebanese border. The pro-regime radio station Sham FM added that other targets included the Aboudiya, Dabousiya, Jarmash, and Gamar Bridge (Wadi Khaled) crossings, as well as two bridges between Lebanon and Syria at the Dabousiya and Aboudia crossings.
The strikes resulted in at least six fatalities and ten injuries at the Dabousiya crossing, with additional casualties reported in other targeted locations.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
