The Israeli military struck weapons transfer hubs and infrastructure near the Syrian-Lebanese border overnight, used by Iran-backed Hezbollah to transport arms, the military said Friday.

The Arida crossing, a vital link between Syria and northern Lebanon, was rendered inoperative by the strikes, according to Syrian state news agency SANA. Lebanon's transport minister, Ali Hamieh, also reported damage to the Jousieh crossing, which connects Syria to eastern Lebanon.

Both crossings are strategic entry points into Homs province, where anti-Assad rebel forces have recently gained ground.

Rebel forces, led by hardline Islamist factions, recently captured Aleppo, Syria's second-largest city, in a major blow to President Bashar al-Assad's government.

The advance builds on earlier successes in northern Syria, intensifying pressure on Assad and his allies.

In a significant development, Syrian army forces withdrew from the northern city of Hama as rebel fighters entered, citing the need to avoid urban combat and protect civilian lives, according to a military statement.

The Syrian civil war, sparked by Arab Spring protests in 2011, had largely subsided in recent years following substantial support for Assad’s forces from Iran and Hezbollah. However, a recent rebel resurgence has reignited hostilities.

Tehran has reinforced its backing of Assad by deploying a senior commander from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to bolster his forces.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with his Iraqi and Syrian counterparts in Baghdad on Friday to address the rapid advance of rebel forces in Syria.

In a video statement on Thursday, a Syrian rebel leader called on Iraq’s prime minister to prevent the Iran-backed Hashd al-Shaabi militia from intervening, warning that such involvement could further escalate regional tensions.