Lebanon: Christians caught up in escalating Hezbollah-Israel conflict

As reported by IMLebanon, on 26 March 2024 a group suspected of being members of Hezbollah attempted to install a rocket launcher in a suburb of Rmaich in southern Lebanon, close to the high school of the predominantly Christian city and fire rockets from there at Israel. The attempt was successfully averted by village residents surrounding the men and driving them away. The group moved the launcher to another neighborhood and fired rockets from there towards Israel. Hezbollah has denied any involvement. Nevertheless, tensions between Israel and Hezbollah are escalating and many observers think they are on the brink of a full-scale war; the Christian population risks being caught between both sides (Syriac Press, 8 April 2024). The villages close to the border with Israel are home to 13 Christian communities, which have been hit hard by the consequences of the growing tension; crops have been decimated, livelihoods ruined and the result has been an exodus of young people from the villages.

World Watch Research analyst Henriette Kats comments: “Hezbollah controls much of southern Lebanon and began firing rockets into Israel on 8 October 2023 in support of Hamas. As a result, Christians in southern Lebanon have unwittingly found themselves caught up in a conflict that has nothing to do with them. Since Hezbollah started launching their rocket attacks, about 90,000 people – mostly Christians – have evacuated southern Lebanon and travelled north away from the almost constant shelling. Due also to the ongoing economic crisis, more and more Christians are already choosing to leave the country, reducing their numbers significantly and risking the Christian population’s loss of influence in national life.”

Henriette Kats continues: “Local church leaders are concerned that Hezbollah’s continued action against Israel will reduce the Christian presence further. However, Lebanese Christians are known for their resilience, as Father Pierre Al Rahi of St. George's Church told CBN News on 5 April 2024: ‘Our Christian ancestors here faced war and they never abandoned their land or their faith. They stood fast against all adversities, and we are going to do the same because that's the spirit we inherited from them’.”