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Journalists looking to enter Syria from Lebanon will now reportedly need a permit, as Beirut signals its readiness to forge ties with the new government in neighbouring Damascus.

The new arrangements come about three weeks after the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group began a lighting rebel offensive in Syria, capturing Damascus on 8 December and ousting former President Bashar al-Assad'sÌý°ù±ð²µ¾±³¾±ð.

It's not clear for how long such arrangements would be put in place but a report by the Lebanese Al-Akhbar newspaper said the new Syrian administration – expected to be a transitional government until March next year – asked any media professionals wishing to visit Syria to either submit their requests through the Syrian embassy or Syrian Ministry of Information.

Those with no approval would not be allowed to enter Syria.°®Âþµº has contactedÌýthe Ministry of Information in Beirut for comment.

Since the collapse of Assad's regime, dozens of Lebanese and foreign journalists from Lebanon have crossed the border into Syria to cover the developments there.

Many have spoken about the lack of border security on the Syrian side but said they faced little to no difficulty travelling within the country.

On Tuesday, the International Federation of Journalists called on all sides involved in the Syrian conflict, particularly HTS which is currently in authority, to adhere to international humanitarian standards in protecting journalists in the country.

IFJ stressed the need to treat journalists and all workers in media organisations as civilians and protect them from being targeted in any military operations.

"The political situation in Syria is witnessing extreme turmoil and ambiguity, which makes journalists a vulnerable group, given their essential role in revealing the facts and conveying people’s voices," said IFJ Secretary-General Anthony Bellanger.

Pro-Assad Lebanese border security sacked

News of the decision surfaced after Lebanon’s earlier this week to discuss procedures at the countries' main Masnaa-Jdeidet Yabous border crossing.

General Security is the Lebanese apparatus responsible for border control.

Citing security sources, Al-Akhbar said the acting chief of General Security, Maj. Gen. Elias al-Baysari, replaced officials at the Masnaa crossing who were believed to have had good ties with the former regime in Syria.

The decision to swap them with other personnel was to prevent tensions from arising with HTS.

The HTS delegation met the General Security at the latter’s Masnaa office to discuss mechanisms on how both sides will cooperate on running the border post, Lebanon's MTV ³¦³ó²¹²Ô²Ô±ð±ôÌý²õ²¹¾±»å.

The two sides reportedly agreed on a one-week deadline for General Security to begin with the new procedures until arrangements were completed on the Syrian side, MTV added.

The Masnaa crossing became overwhelmed in the hours that followed the regime's collapse in Damascus as thousands of Syrians poured into Lebanon, with no border checks in Jdeidet Yabous.

HTS and General Security also discussed the resumption of the transport of Lebanese goods to Syria and the Middle East, a vital lifeline for the Lebanese economy battered by an unprecedented crisis for the past five years.

More than 30 trucks carrying agricultural produce went into Syria over the past two days after a 10-day closure of the Masnaa crossing, Al-Akhbar reported, "marking the return of land exports between the two countries."

Lebanese exporters had for years faced difficulties because of the war in Syria, forcing them to look at other, more expensive alternatives.

But exports beyond Syria still require a few more days of talks and logistics, as Syria’s borders with both Iraq and Jordan remain closed and require new mechanisms, HTS told Lebanese authorities.

Trucks would have to cross either through Iraq or Jordan to reach the Gulf, one of Lebanon’s biggest markets.

Restoring ties

The relationship between Beirut and Damascus had been cold since the start of the Syrian war in 2011. The Lebanese government at the time decided to adopt a disassociation policy, vowing not to interfere in the conflict.

Diplomatic ties became low-level, and there have been no state visits; only ministerial delegations or Assad-allied politicians from Lebanon visited Syria during the conflict.

But despite the disassociation policy, Hezbollah – the Shia armed group backed by Iran which has just come out of a devastating war with Israel – fought alongside Assad’s forces.

Earlier this week, Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati ordered the reopening of Lebanon's embassy in Damascus. The – a country that authorities say hosts around 2 million Syrian refugeesÌý– has remained open.

While no decision has been taken yet to send a government delegation to Damascus to reopen Lebanon’s diplomatic mission there, some Lebanese politicians have announced upcoming visits to Syria.

Head of the Progressive Socialist Party and Druze leader Walid Jumblatt was the first Lebanese figure from the country’s long-time ruling elite to contact HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa. Junblatt is expected to visit Damascus this week.

Observers say Junblatt’s visit could also involve discussions on Syria’s Druze minority, most of whom live in the country’s south. While the Druze had previously taken a neutral stance in the war, they joined forces with rebel factions to oust Assad. Druze militias in Suwayda had long complained about the regime’s tactics in their region, and since last year have carried out weekly anti-regime protests.

Some have expressed concerns about the coming phase in Syria. Last week, figures from the Druze village of Hader in the Quneitra governorate which has been overrun by invading Israeli forces said they would rather be annexed into the occupied GolanÌý±á±ð¾±²µ³ó³Ù²õ than live under an Islamist rule in Syria. Hader’s spiritual leaders later criticised these remarks and said they refused partition.