The Christian villages on the entrance line of Israel’s battle on Lebanon | EUROtoday

This article first appeared on our accomplice website, Independent Arabia

One month in the past, Georges Khreish, Elie Atallah Dahrouj and Shadi Ammar have been putting in an web cable on the roof of a constructing of their village within the south of Lebanon.

The three younger males have been focused by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), which launched a drone that killed them immediately.

The deadly strike befell in Ain Ebel, an historic Christian village recognized for its white soil and olive timber, situated close to the border city of Bint Jbeil.

When approached by Independent Arabia for remark, the IDF mentioned it “struck individuals in the Hanine area who posed a threat to IDF troops and were identified as Hezbollah operatives, while they were observed attempting to install surveillance equipment on a rooftop”.

This was not the primary such incident within the Christian border cities of southern Lebanon, with residents fearing there are extra to return as Israel ramps up its assaults on the nation, and IDF forces transfer deeper into Lebanese territory.

On Easter Sunday, an Israeli assault on a residential constructing within the predominantly Christian city of Ain Saadeh, east of Beirut, resulted within the demise of Pierre Mouawad, an official within the Lebanese Forces occasion and an outspoken critic of Hezbollah, alongside along with his spouse, Flavia. The Israeli navy says it was focusing on Hezbollah militants.

Last month, the Israeli military focused Father Pierre al-Rai, the parish priest of Saint George’s Church in Qlayaa – a Maronite city neighbouring Marjayoun – firing an artillery shell in his course.

He was accompanying residents as they tried to help a person from Qlayaa who had been wounded by shrapnel from an Israeli shell, reportedly fired at Hezbollah fighters positioned close by between the city and the neighbouring municipality of Khiam.

Opposition events to Hezbollah, most notably the Lebanese Forces and the Kataeb Party, straight blamed the group for Father al-Rai’s demise, arguing that its fighters have been current within the space and had been the meant goal of the Israeli strike.

But no matter fault, folks dwelling within the space have a transparent message – we’re not going wherever.

Speaking to Independent ArabiaHanna Daher, the mayor of Qlayaa, mentioned: “During the 66-day war in 2024, Israel previously asked us to evacuate our town.

“We refused and said we would remain here. We are, by nature, a peaceful community – we do not carry arms and we are not against anyone.

“For that reason, we will stay on our land, holding fast to the words of Father Pierre al-Rai, who gave his life on the altar of remaining in our land: ‘We are staying, we are staying, we are staying’. We will continue to repeat this.

“Even if we are asked to leave our town, we will not abandon our homes, nor will we allow anyone to force us to do so. We are not fighting anyone and we are not standing against anyone; all we ask is to be left in peace and in our homes.

“Not a single resident has left the town because of the war. We are 850 families in Qlayaa. Those who have left have done so only temporarily – to visit a doctor, attend to a need or travel to the capital, Beirut – and then they return.

“As for our supplies and food provisions, we rely on what we have stored in our commercial and economic institutions. There are still roads that remain open, and we hope they will continue to remain so in order that we might secure our basic needs.”

Daher highlighted the plight of farmers who make up a big proportion of Qlayaa’s residents: “Farmers’ homes have been completely destroyed.

“Those who had already planted, or had begun preparing for cultivation – having spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to launch the summer season and ready their olive groves and other crops – have seen everything destroyed.

“No one from the town dares go to their fields in the nearby plains any more, particularly the Marjayoun-Khiam plain, because of the war.

“Their crops and trees have been damaged, and the losses are immeasurable. Despite all this, we are trying to remain in our homes. We have no other option available to us, and we will not abandon our land or our livelihoods.”

On Sunday, 8 March, an Israeli drone killed Sami Ghafri, a resident of the predominantly Christian border city of Alma al-Shaab, after he refused to depart his village regardless of evacuation warnings issued to its inhabitants.

This prompted the remaining households nonetheless dwelling within the village to depart, escorted by a unit of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) working in southern Lebanon.

Moral and papal help

In a current weekly viewers within the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV mourned the late priest, saying: “Father Pierre was a true shepherd who always remained by his people’s side.

“As soon as he heard that members of his parish had been injured in shelling, he ran to help them without hesitation. May the Lord grant that the blood he shed may be a seed of peace for beloved Lebanon.”

The Maronite patriarch, Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros al-Rai, in flip described what occurred as a deep wound within the coronary heart of the Church.

“This incident once again reveals the tragedy for which the innocent are paying the price in the cycle of violence and wars we have long warned against,” he added.

In a transfer seen as a part of efforts to help and enhance the morale of Qlayaa’s residents, the village neighbouring Marjayoun, the commander of the Lebanese military, General Rodolphe Haykal, attended the funeral of Father Pierre.

The apostolic nuncio to Lebanon, Archbishop Paolo Borgia, additionally carried out a tour that included a number of Christian cities within the districts of Marjayoun and Hasbaya, “as a message of moral support to the residents and encouragement for them to remain steadfast in their land”.

In Qlayaa, the papal envoy expressed his admiration for the residents’ resilience, noting that “the people here possess great courage”.

Displacement of Christians

Metropolitan Elias Kfouri, head of the Orthodox archdiocese of Sidon, Tyre and their dependencies, advised Independent Arabia: “Israel’s continued severing of links between villages is aimed at isolating the area south of the Litani River from the rest of Lebanon.

“This region has become almost devoid of its inhabitants, except for a number of Christian villages whose residents have refused to leave. As a result, we are now witnessing incidents targeting the inhabitants of these towns.

“The killing of Father Pierre al-Rai while he was carrying out a humanitarian mission shows that Israel will not limit itself to displacing the Shia population alone, but is seeking to empty the entire area, including Christian villages whose residents refuse to depart.”

Metropolitan Kfouri criticised “the global silence, including from the United Nations, regarding Israel’s occupation, killings, destruction, displacement and violation of our villages.

“We reaffirm our commitment to the continued presence of Christians in their border villages, so that Israel does not achieve its aims of turning this frontier area into a zone entirely devoid of life and inhabitants.”

For his half, retired brigadier common Hisham Jaber, head of the Middle East Centre for Studies and Public Relations, advised Independent Arabia: “Israel will not stop at displacing the Shia population from their areas, towns and villages, but will move on to displace Christians after having emptied most Shia villages of their residents.

“What we are seeing, including the incidents in Alma al-Shaab, Qlayaa and, most recently, Ain Ebel, is intended to instil fear among Christians in these villages and push them to leave.”

Translated by Dalia Mohamed; Reviewed by Tooba Khokhar and Celine Assaf