As the military escalation between Israel and Hezbollah plunges Lebanon into a new period of instability, the inhabitants of Christian villages in South Lebanon are facing a particularly complex ordeal. Despite repeated evacuation orders from the Israeli army and the immediate proximity of the front line, a large portion of these populations has expressed a firm will not to abandon their homes.
For these communities, the situation is marked by a profound sense of injustice. Opposed to the ideology of the "Axis of Resistance" championed by Hezbollah, the residents find themselves trapped in a conflict whose motives they reject. Geographically exposed, these villages see their daily lives suspended by the vagaries of a war they never wished for.
In the town of Alma al-Chaab, this determination was manifested by a powerful symbolic gesture: the gathering of residents on the forecourt of the Church of Our Lady, followed by the ringing of the bells, as a sign of refusal to leave. Charbel Sayyah, a native of the town, highlights the strategic position of his municipality, coveted by outside interests, and recalls the constant opposition of the villagers to any attempt by Hezbollah to establish itself on their lands. "We do not want weapons, we do not know how to use them," he specifies, while calling on the Lebanese state and the national army to secure these areas to guarantee their neutrality. During the previous conflict in 2024, Alma al-Chaab suffered significant destruction, particularly to its religious building; a trauma that residents now refuse to relive through departure.
This will to remain is also found in Rmeish, where families emphasize their attachment to a heritage built over decades. Local organization is structured: in coordination with the parish, surveillance rotations are carried out by volunteers, supported by off-duty Lebanese soldiers present in the municipality. The bells serve here as an alert against any unwanted incursion. In Ein Ebel, vigilance is equally heightened. A resident testifies that the presence of civilians is seen as a protection against any infiltration. Recently, the responsiveness of the inhabitants enabled the municipal police to expel a suspicious individual, apparently linked to an armed militia, who was attempting to seek refuge in the village.
Faced with these threats, a delegation representing the towns of Rmeish, Ein Ebel, Debel, and Alma al-Chaab recently met with the Apostolic Nuncio to Lebanon, Archbishop Paolo Borgia. The message conveyed to the Holy See's representative is unequivocal: the inhabitants reject any forced displacement and reaffirm their loyalty to Lebanese state institutions and UNIFIL. The delegation sought the support of the Vatican's diplomatic channels to intercede with Western capitals to guarantee the protection of these civilian areas from military operations.
Father Najib Al-Ameel, pastor of the parish of Rmeish, summarizes this state of mind: "We remain steadfast in our town. We will not become displaced persons on the roads; our houses are safer." Between the pressure from armed groups seeking to exploit their territory and the risk of foreign incursion, these Christian populations draw from their faith and their love of the land the strength to remain in the places of their historical roots.