Israel has built a growing network of outposts and fortifications in Syria and Lebanon, deepening concerns about a protracted occupation in parts of the two countries.

At the start of the new year, 115,000 Syrians had already returned home from Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. In December, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) expected 1 million Syrians would return by June, but now predicts only 600,000 to return by September.

Turkey has said it does not seek a confrontation with Israel in Syria, but warned that continued Israeli strikes on military facilities in the war-torn country are undermining the new Syrian government’s ability to counter threats, including Islamic State, its foreign minister told Reuters on Friday.

BEIRUT — Lebanon and Syria have signed an agreement on border demarcation and to boost coordination between the two countries regarding security along their tense frontier, the Saudi Press ...

Lebanon closed six illegal border crossings with Syria amid efforts to stop smuggling between the two countries, the army said on Monday. A military statement said the cross-border passages were closed in the regions of Hoch al-Sayyed Ali, Mashrouat al-Qaa, and Qabech.

Israel does not seek conflict with Türkiye in Syria, a senior Israeli official said on Friday, following days of rising tensions between the two countries and Israeli strikes on military sites in Syria.

Israel stepped up airstrikes on Syria, declaring the attacks a warning to the new Islamist rulers in Damascus as it accused their ally Turkey on Thursday of trying to turn the country into a Turkish protectorate.

A growing confrontation between Israel and Turkey over influence in Syria is posing a serious challenge for Syria's fragile new government. On Wednesday night, Israel bombed several military targets in Syria,