Thousands cross from Lebanon into Syria to flee Israeli attacks

Thousands of Syrian and Lebanese nationals have crossed the border into Syria this week in a desperate bid to escape Israel's intensified attacks across Lebanon since Monday, choosing to find relative safety in another war-torn country.

UN officials estimated that thousands of Lebanese and Syrian families had already made the journey and the numbers were expected to grow as Israel indiscriminately and intensely attacks several areas in Lebanon, namely southern Lebanon, the southern suburbs of Beirut and the northeastern Beeka Valley area.

Lines of buses and cars extended for several kilometres (miles) from the Syrian border since Monday, and some families were reportedly making the journey by foot.

Around 2,000 Lebanese nationals crossed into Syria by noon on Tuesday, the Syrian state-linked Al-Watan newspaper reported, adding that a similar number of people were waiting to complete formal procedures to enter.

Around 3,000 Syrian nationals also returned from Lebanon so far, the paper said.

The governorate of Homs directed a task force to take "rapid response measures" by providing necessary supplies and reinforce medical points at border crossings, the Syrian opposition outlet Enab Baladi reported.

Meanwhile, the governor of Damascus, Ahmed Khalil, told local radio he had reviewed the situation at the Masnaa-Al-Jdeidah (Jdeidet Yabous) crossing on Tuesday, emphasising the need to "simplify" the border crossing procedures for evacuees.

Khalil said he had inspected the crossing following reports of "large numbers" of Syrians and Lebanese making their way to the border since Tuesday morning.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Red Crescent announced it ready to attend to Lebanese and Syrian families arriving in Syria.

In a statement on Facebook on Tuesday, the organisation said that its volunteers were deployed at border between the two countries, including at the crossings in the provinces of Homs, Tartus and rural Damascus.

The organisation said it was ready to offer first aid and medical services to those fleeing Lebanon, emphasising its "commitment to alleviate their suffering".

Enab Baladi reported that dozens had crossed the border into Syria illegally. Citing its correspondent in Homs, it said around 100 people had cross into the city from the Lebanese villages of Wadi Khaled and Qusayr.

The outlet spoke to a smuggler operating on the Syria-Lebanon border who said that the crossing activity was "high" and had faced "no obstacles" on either side of the border.

According to the smuggler cited by the outlet, people arriving from Lebanon without a Lebanese residency permit were being charged $60 per person, while those who had Lebanese residency were being charged $30 per person for safe passage.

The outlet cited its correspondent as saying that no independent body had registered the numbers and nationalities of those entering with the help of smugglers.

The New Arab has reached out to Lebanon's General Security for comments.

Israel launched waves of deadly and indiscriminate airstrikes on Lebanon on Monday, killing over 570 people and injuring more than 1,800, according to Lebanese health authorities.

Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in cross-border attacks since October last year, with the Lebanese group saying it was opening a front in support of Palestinians in Gaza.

The international community has warned Israel against launching a full-scale war on Lebanon, cautioning that it could escalate the Gaza conflict into a broader regional crisis.