‘Nowhere to go’: Syrians fleeing Israeli strikes in Lebanon face perilous return

Syrian refugees who had been living in Lebanon arrive in an opposition-controlled area in north-western Syria via the Aoun al-Dadat crossing. Photograph: Ali Haj Suleiman/The Guardian

For two weeks, Umm Hadi has been living a nightmare on repeat. It has been 12 years since she last saw her elder son, who was detained by Syrian soldiers at a border crossing between Lebanon and Syria.

Now it has happened again. She says her younger son Hadi was at the al-Dabbousyia crossing on 7 October, attempting to flee Israeli airstrikes and cross back into Syria to try to reunite with his family, when he was arrested and taken away by government forces.