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”.
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.
