Long queues of trucks carrying perishable goods such as plantains and fish have been stranded at the border, with many traders fearing their products will spoil before reaching markets.

Ugandan authorities tightened restrictions after Congo’s Ebola outbreak in Ituri Province worsened. While emergency and humanitarian traffic is still allowed, cargo movement has slowed significantly.

Officials say the measures are necessary to stop cross-border transmission of Ebola. Uganda has already recorded 15 confirmed Ebola cases linked to the outbreak in neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Local businesses around the busy Mpondwe Border Post have been hit hard, with traders reporting spoiled goods, reduced income, and growing uncertainty.

The World Health Organization has warned that neighboring countries face a high risk of infection but generally discourages border closures, emphasizing surveillance and health measures instead.

Authorities say further restrictions may be introduced if the outbreak continues to spread.

The strikes, part of an expanded military campaign since March 2 after Hezbollah joined the regional conflict alongside Iran, hit Beirut and areas in southern Lebanon. The Lebanese health ministry said a strike in Beirut’s Jnah district killed at least five people and wounded 52.

Additional attacks included a strike on an apartment building in Ain Saadeh east of Beirut, where three people were killed, including Lebanese Forces official Pierre Mouawad and his wife, according to the state-run National News Agency.

In the southern town of Kfar Hatta, seven people, including a four-year-old girl, were killed, the ministry said.Israel’s military did not immediately comment on the specific strikes. Chief of staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir visited troops in southern Lebanon on Sunday and said operations against Hezbollah would intensify.

Hezbollah said it had fired a cruise missile at an Israeli warship off the coast, but the Israeli military said it was not aware of such an attack.The escalation prompted the closure of the Masnaa crossing, Lebanon’s main land route to Syria. Israel had warned it would strike the crossing, alleging it was being used by Hezbollah to transfer military equipment.

Lebanese and Syrian officials said the crossing, a key civilian and trade artery, was evacuated and shut as a precaution.The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon warned that exchanges of fire near its positions could risk further escalation.Since the conflict expanded, Israeli strikes in Lebanon have killed more than 1,400 people and displaced over one million, according to Lebanese authorities.

A strike in Jnah landed about 100 meters from Rafik Hariri University Hospital, causing damage and panic among patients. Hospital officials said they received dozens of casualties, while witnesses described explosions and falling debris in the area.Residents reported repeated strikes without warning.

Nancy Hassan, a local resident who previously lost her daughter in earlier fighting, said the campaigns had again hit her neighborhood.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called for negotiations to prevent further destruction, particularly in southern regions where Israeli ground forces have advanced.