Whilst Hezbollah continues to drag the whole of Lebanon into its “final battle” with Israel, dividing politics and society, the Christian villages of the South are clinging to their land. Over 20% of the country’s total population is now displaced. Whilst direct clashes are reported between militiamen from the pro-Iranian party and the Israeli army in Khyam, “exploratory” talks continue for a diplomatic solution between the Land of the Cedars and the Jewish state.

While Israel has begun a ground operation in southern Lebanon, Fathers Shinto and Binoy spoke to AsiaNews about their presence, along with the Missionaries of Charity, among the people most affected by the conflict. In the silence before the Blessed Sacrament, "the noise of the war fades away” for the peace that “only Christ can give.” A man in need is helped.

The Patriarch of Jerusalem’s address at a webinar organised by the Oasis Foundation. “We have seen in these decades of conflict what violence has produced: only further fear, resentment and hatred. We know that Leo XIV’s appeals will fall on deaf ears, but we must continue to speak the truth. Information is a weapon in this conflict. Gaza has been forgotten, yet the situation remains dire. In the West Bank, there are almost daily attacks by settlers on Palestinians'.

Despite growing fears, people are refusing to leave their homes as requested by the State of Israel. The Bishop of Batroun criticises (without naming it) Hezbollah for deliberately ‘drawing’ Israeli fire onto homes and fields now at risk of invasion. Criticism is also levelled at the Beirut government for an overly servile and passive stance. An activist tells AsiaNews: “If we leave, the South is lost”.

For 57 years, the Sisters of Saint Jeanne Antide Thouret have taught Christian and Shia children and youth to live together in Dahye, a Hezbollah stronghold on the southern outskirts of the Lebanese capital. Since war broke out, a hundred families have been forced to flee, and about 20 had their homes destroyed. The wounds caused by fear are invisible amid the uncertainty about the future. The feeling that someone is close to them is the only sign of hope.

The president accuses Hezbollah of trying “to provoke the collapse of Lebanon [. . .] on behalf of Iran." The country’s parliament votes to postpone May elections, extending its term due to “force majeure”. Syria supports Lebanon's efforts to disarm Hezbollah and boosts its presence on the border. The risk of annexation and the disappearance of historic Christian villages is high.