Christmas among Christians in southern Lebanon, where the war never ended
Despite the ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, the conflict continues on the southern border. Economic and human interdependence in the region is such that when one village suffers, everyone suffers. Garlands and nativity scenes timidly decorate the deserted alleys. The Christmas market at the Sacred Hearts School. ‘For us, it means telling the world that we are here for life.’
Beirut (AsiaNews) - ‘We will not give up, we will keep our weapons!’ Indifferent to the impact of their inflammatory statements on the morale of the population, particularly in the border region, in direct contact with the Israeli army, Hezbollah leaders, under the direct influence of Iran, continue to play the maximalist card. They claim to be ‘waiting for the right moment and relying on the state for the time being.’ However, all Lebanese who are aware of the misfortunes of war, including Shiite circles, hope that moment will never come.
In the meantime, it is the area south of the Litani River that is paying the highest price. Of course, not all of the region is suffering in the same way, and many Christian villages are not directly affected by the war. But economic and human interdependence is such that when one village suffers, all villages suffer, even if they are not directly exposed to the Jewish state's war machine.
Intoxicated by a tourist season characterised by the massive arrival of expatriates coming to spend their holidays in their country of origin (a daily peak of 16,000 entries has been reached in recent days), many Lebanese forget that part of their nation is still at war. The army, as is well known, has taken control of about 90% of Hezbollah's positions south of the Litani, awaiting Phase II, which will include the area from the river to Saïda. However, the Party of God's stubborn refusal to accept further disarmament before the Israeli army's total withdrawal from Lebanon is fuelling the latter's warmongering. A softening of the Israeli command's stance was evident following Pope Leo XIV's visit to Lebanon, followed by the appointment of a diplomat, Simon Karam, to the ceasefire monitoring mechanism signed on 27 November 2023. Nevertheless, the Jewish state's overwhelming military superiority and, above all, its unpredictability on the ground persist.
The direct impact of the war on Christian villages in the south has been less than elsewhere. But the climate of war affects the entire region. Christian villages try to convey their well-being to their neighbours. However, in some urban areas, up to 60% of shops have closed or are operating in a limited way: reduced hours, half-open shutters, employees paid partly in kind.
Whether because their homes have been destroyed or because their neighbourhoods are still in sensitive areas, entire families have not yet returned to their villages: the exodus of the population, especially young people, and some destruction, such as that of the central market in Nabatiyeh, have had a huge economic impact on the entire region.
Sister Marie Touma, director of the Antonine Sisters' school in Nabatiyeh, knows something about this. The nun tells AsiaNews in a serious tone: ‘Despite the nativity scene, the Christmas tree and the garlands, the loss is great, very great.’ "We are doing our best to keep the joy of Christmas alive, but the situation is as I have described it. Some things,‘ she continues, ’seem irreversible. Those whose homes have been destroyed will not return. That's how it is.‘
This year, the middle school has 1,009 students, 200 fewer than usual. ’Some have found accommodation elsewhere, others have left the country," the nun laments. ‘What are these 250 million from the World Bank for infrastructure reconstruction, whose loan has just been approved by Parliament? A drop in the ocean,’ she continues. ‘The repair of the wing reserved for the nursery and primary school of our school alone will cost .5 million!’ she concludes.
The future has packed its bags
Echoing these words, Katia Kahil, from the website Ici-Beyrouth, who is also a French teacher in a public school, assures us: "Garlands and nativity scenes timidly decorate the deserted alleys.
Once animated by laughter and gatherings, the streets of Alma Chaab, Yaroun, Deir Mimas, Khiam and Marjeyoun now bear the weight of human haemorrhage.‘ ’They say that young people are the future, but here the future has packed its bags," sums up Rami, 30, an agricultural engineer now living in Beirut, quoted by the journalist.
A significant observation: the time factor is crucial. After all, the more Hezbollah persists, the longer the crisis will continue and the more irreversible the situation will become, with temporary accommodation becoming permanent, families scattered and abandoned homes becoming uninhabitable. "I thought I was just coming back to light the nativity scene... then I saw the state of our house...‘ confirms Roula, quoted by our colleague. In Deir Mimas, the journalist adds, Randa says she ’returned to her village but not to her previous life. Before, the house was full: cousins, neighbours, children running everywhere. Today there are five of us around the table. The emptiness is overwhelming."
Will the war start again...?
‘Unfortunately, despite the ceasefire, the war continues in the south,’ confirms Sister Maya Beaino, director of the Sacred Hearts School in Aïn Ebel, a Maronite village on the border. ‘When I go to Beirut,’ she adds, ‘they ask me if the war will start again. And I reply that in the south the war has never stopped, that we are in the midst of war.’
The Sacred Hearts School celebrated its third year of war with a ‘Christmas Market’ called ‘Sentinels of the Prince of Peace,’ with a choir, entertainment for children, and distribution of gifts. ‘Organising this event,’ Sister Maya explains, ‘means telling the world that we are for peace, that we are here for life and for conviviality.’
The nun made sure to involve the neighbouring villages, which are predominantly Shiite. The event is supported by UNIFIL contingents, the UN mission in Lebanon in its final year, and other international associations such as L'Œuvre d'Orient. Louis Guilhem Larchet, an officer with the French contingent, tells AsiaNews: "This allows us to bring a little joy back to families who are in great need. It also allows us to convey an important message, namely that where UNIFIL deploys and makes its resources available, people can feel safe. "
In reality, everyone knows that this cheerful Christmas market is the last one before UNIFIL's departure in 2026. Caught in a vice between Israel and Hezbollah, dragged into a war it did not want, Lebanon still seems unable to free itself from its bonds.
GATEWAY TO THE EAST IS THE ASIANEWS NEWSLETTER DEDICATED TO THE MIDDLE EAST. WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE IT EVERY TUESDAY? TO SUBSCRIBE, CLICK HERE.
.png)
