ALBAWABA - Amid fears of a war between Israel and Hezbollah and possible regional escalation, social media pages and accounts have been circulating in recent days a post claiming that the Syrian authorities have imposed a visa on Lebanese wishing to enter its territory.
The posts on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) read: "Lebanese citizens wishing to visit Syria must submit an application for an entry visa from the accredited embassy in Lebanon before traveling."
However, this claim is not true, and Lebanese are still able to enter neighboring Syria without a visa, as declared by authorities in Syria who refuted the rumor that spread online.
A fake picture allegedly shows an application Lebanese should fill out before travelling to Syria. (Social media)
These posts came amid fears of a regional war between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah, especially after the assassination of prominent Hezbollah leader Fouad Shukr in an Israeli strike near Beirut.
As well as, on July 31, a day after the killing of Shukr, Hamas Leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran.
Syria embassy refutes claims of imposing visa for Lebanese:
After this claim was widely circulated on social media, the Syrian Embassy in Beirut released a statement denying these allegations and adding that the allegations being shared online are baseless and incorrect.
On Aug. 2, the embassy wrote: "The Embassy of the Syrian Arab Republic in Beirut clarifies that this news is absolutely untrue and that there has been no change in the procedures for Lebanese citizens entering Syria."
