“If Christians leave southern Lebanon, they will never return”

What is the current situation of Christians in Lebanon?

In the south of the country, Israel threatens Christian villages. This is a first since October 7, 2023, the date of the start of the war between Israel and Hezbollah. Previously, Tel Aviv targeted the areas occupied by Hezbollah, sparing as much as possible the galaxy of Christian localities in the surrounding area. But this time, the Israeli army urged all residents in the south of the country, including Christians, to leave their homes.

For the first time, the faithful are choosing to stay on their land. During the last evacuations in 2024, only two Christian villages remained occupied by residents. Today, there are more of them. We are in the process of establishing how many there are, approximately a few thousand.

Why do Christians decide to stay at risk of their lives?

Christians know that if they leave the south of the country, they risk never returning. The Israeli army is preparing a ground incursion to establish a buffer zone, without populations. They have already been displaced several times in around fifty years, since the Lebanese civil war (1975-1990) which worsened with the Israeli invasion in 1982. The South was in the hands of the Jewish state until 2000. Completely emptied of its population for almost two decades.

This is a trauma for Christians, who are very attached to this region. These villages are very old and remind us that Christ passed through this land to reach Saïda. By refusing to implement the evacuation order, they are carrying out an act of peaceful resistance. They are not armed. Already in 2024, they had prevented Hezbollah militiamen from entering their village to avoid Israel’s lightning. And when they were no match for them, they suffered heavy repercussions. As in Alma El-Chaab on the Israeli border (photo above)which had suffered terrible bombardments from the Hebrew state. Faced with danger, the inhabitants left.

This time, they stayed….

About a hundred of them refused to abandon their village. They are under Israeli pressure, but are holding on. They hole up in the basement of the church, with their priest, Mgr Maroun Ghafari. They pray a lot, the men play cards…. There are also many women and children.

They can’t go outside?

It’s very dangerous! On March 8, the brother of Mgr Maroun Ghafari was killed by an Israeli drone. He just went out to water! I think it’s a way of putting pressure on the residents. They are showing exceptional courage but we are very worried about their fate. Southern Christians are increasingly cut off from the rest of the country.

How can we help them?

We are in the process of organizing to send a humanitarian convoy. But it is a very delicate operation that will have to be carried out with the Lebanese army or the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), because of the risks of bombings and drone strikes. We are in close discussion with the Vatican ambassador who is monitoring the situation very closely. We have a special bond with this population, strengthened since October 7, 2023. We have notably set up a mental health program. The residents are so traumatized… Today, everything is at a standstill. We are appealing to the generosity of donors. I don’t know how the Lebanese population and Christians will hold up.

Especially since Hezbollah members could come and hide in Christian neighborhoods…

Yes, the situation is critical in the rest of the country. During this war, the radius of Israeli bombings was expanded beyond Hezbollah strongholds. There was a strike in a hotel in a Christian neighborhood of Beirut. The population is very scared. And this can create tensions between communities. There are currently 500,000 displaced people in Lebanon. Among those who come to take refuge in Christian neighborhoods, no one knows who is a civilian or a member of Hezbollah. This reinforces distrust towards the displaced, with, in the general mind, the fear of Israeli reprisals. There could be collateral damage among Christians. If this war takes hold over time, it would be a real nightmare.