ASIA/LEBANON - The testimony of Father Elias from the Christian villages of southern Lebanon, under attack by the Israeli army: "We are resisting with our living flesh"

Tuesday, 24 March 2026 middle east wars oriental churches area crisis geopolitics

LEBANON

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by Gianni Valente

Rmeish (Agenzia Fides) – "We are practically cut off from the outside world. Only an old road can still be used and keeps us connected to Tyre. Yesterday, we managed to send a convoy with essential supplies along this road," said Father Toni Elias, a Maronite priest from the village of Rmeish, commenting on the plight of Christians who have chosen to remain in their villages in southern Lebanon while they are attacked by Israeli forces. "The municipality," he added, "is distributing food to families. But we don't know how much longer the road to Tyre will remain open. We are praying that the Lord will shorten these days."

Rmeish is less than two kilometers from the Israeli border. The village faced a similar situation in October 2024 after the Israeli army invaded southern Lebanon.

Father Elias recounts his experiences in an interview with Fides, while bombing raids can be heard in the background. He reports that a house in the nearby Christian village of Ain Ebel was bombed last night, "but fortunately, there were no deaths." He goes on to say that during the night, the sounds of Israeli tanks and bulldozers approaching a Christian village that had already been evacuated three weeks prior could be heard.

The stated goal of the Israeli attacks in Lebanon is the destruction of Hezbollah positions. However, the Iranian-backed Shiite militia continues to attack Israeli territory with rockets in the context of the renewed unrest triggered by the US-Israeli attack on Iran.

The Israeli bombing raids are hitting all of Lebanon, including the capital, Beirut. However, the south of the country is at the center of Israeli occupation plans. The new border between Lebanon and Israel "must be the Litani River," said Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. The bridges over the Litani River have also become targets of Israeli bombing.

“We will stay until the end,” Father Toni told Fides, citing several reasons for the decision he shares with his parishioners: “In the south, we are the only ones left in these few Christian villages. As long as we are here, this land will remain Lebanese land. We are resisting with our living flesh. We have nothing, we are helpless, our weapon is prayer. And if we were to leave, southern Lebanon would disappear. I am certain of that. And all the hard work of our ancestors, who built these villages in a blessed land, would be in vain. ... These are the reasons why we are staying here.” Last week, according to Father Elias, “the Apostolic Nuncio, Paolo Borgia, also visited, along with the Maronite Bishop of Tyre, Charbel Abdallah, and a representative of the Patriarch. A convoy of humanitarian aid, organized by Catholic associations and groups, accompanied them. It was a testament to the unity of the entire Church, which we were privileged to experience firsthand, and it comforted us. The Lord created us as intelligent beings. But this gift seems to have been lost in this world, where only the law of the strongest prevails.” (Agenzia Fides, 24/3/2026)