Middle East

The victim, Fr Gregorius Saloum, served as parish priest in Ibl al-Saqi, in the south of the country. He was seriously wounded in yesterday’s attack along with his wife and children. Kfour, a Christian village near Nabatieh, was also hit with the local church suffering heavy damages.

Hezbollah's number two announces the fight will continue. The price is already high: over a thousand dead, incalculable devastation, and a humanitarian emergency; but in reception centres and in the streets, words of resentment against the slain secretary general are rare. France and the United States (which approved Israel’s ground operation) continue to talk about a diplomatic solution that seems still far away.

Yesterday alone, more than 105 people were killed and 359 wounded in Lebanon. The southern village was also in the crosshairs, with ‘at least one confirmed victim’ in the Christian community. The target was the head of the Party of God in Sidon, and an entire building inhabited by civilians was razed to the ground to eliminate him. PM Mikati speaks of one million displaced people. Maronite Patriarch: strengthening unity among Lebanese.

Israel’s military announced the death of Hezbollah’s leader and its number three. Speaking to AsiaNews, Fr Michel Abboud paints a “very difficult" picture, saying that a Carmelite convent was just missed by an Israeli airstrike. People are fleeing "with no prospect of safety" and the displaced emergency is increasing. In an appeal "for help and support", the clergyman said that “needs are huge”.

Anooshavan Avedian, 62, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for leading a house church. An appeal court dropped the charges and ordered his release. Advocacy group is pleased about the turn of events but calls for the victim to be "compensated for all he has endured". At least 21 Christians are still in an Iranian prison because of their faith.

After years away from their homeland, some Syrian refugees are forced to return because of Israel’s war against Hezbollah. In the last 48 hours, almost 30,000 people have been displaced. Lebanese authorities report that "15,600 Syrian citizens and 16,130 Lebanese citizens" have crossed the border. Syrians who return face a triple dilemma: arrest, military draft, or loss of refugee status.

As the war escalates, a surge of solidarity, empathy and compassion ties Christians and Muslims. Doctors and nurses work tirelessly to treat the victims of explosions and take in those forced to flee their homes. Faced with the "unacceptable" massacre of civilians by Israeli fighter jets, the Lebanon of "living together" exists beyond politics.

The day that marks Hamas' attack on Israel and the beginning of the war in Gaza for the cardinal is a date “symbolic of the drama we are living”. In the month of Our Lady, the invitation to pray in community for true reconciliation. The ‘vortex’ of ‘violence and hatred’ that causes ‘thousands of innocent victims’ today also finds space ‘in language and in political and social actions’.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq has carried attacks against Israel in the past few days, including the latest: drones that were intercepted and shot down by Israel’s air force. In the event of a ground invasion of Lebanon, the group is ready to join the fighting. Meanwhile, in Iraq, the 94-year-old Shia cleric is urging aid for the Lebanese population, but ordinary people fear an escalation that could favour the return of the Islamic State.

Israel fighter planes have hit uninhabited as well as civilian targets, all treated as ammunition depots or Hezbollah launch pads. For one doctor, it is a "massacre", with many bodies feared to be under the rubble. The great escape from the south is underway, but some people choose to stay holed up in their villages. In some of Beirut’s predominantly Christian districts, empty houses and buildings under construction have been requisitioned.

The structure, dating back to the fifth century, is subject to deterioration. Climatologists and authorities have started a collaboration to assess the long-term ‘impact and consequences’ on historical sites. But many architectural treasures are at risk, as are the country's crops and ecosystem in the face of a ‘silent enemy’ that threatens the future and is the focus of the Summit of the Future at the UN General Assembly in these hours.

Over 100 people die and 400 are wounded in massive Israeli attacks in south Lebanon. Sources tell AsiaNews that Lebanese civilians are fleeing, sheltering in schools and government buildings. The patriarchal vicar for Israel says that even Nazareth was hit by rockets, and "it is likely" that the whole of Galilee will come under attack by Hezbollah. If leaders do not stop, the effects will be “terrible”. Christians are the weak link in this war as religious tourism dries up and violence spreads in Israel’s Arab community.