Christian Villages in Lebanon Attacked by Israel

Topic: Unrest, Conflict and War

Bashir Nadaff is in hospital after an Israeli attack on his village in southern Lebanon.

Bashir Nadaff is in a hospital bed with injuries from an Israeli attack on his village.

Bashir was outside his home in Débel with his family when Israeli tanks started firing.

Iran war updates: Read our blog for the latest news on the Middle East crisis.

We hid in a small room as the gunfire continued.

We stayed hidden for about 45 minutes.

Bashir used his body to protect his wife and daughter during the attack.

When the shell hit, Bashir was bleeding heavily and couldn't see or hear.

Bashir's skin was pierced by shrapnel and debris from the Israeli attack.

Israel launched a ground invasion and aerial bombing in southern Lebanon after Hezbollah fired on Israel.

Hundreds of thousands of southern Lebanese residents have been ordered to leave their homes.

But thousands are refusing to leave, including residents of Christian villages not affiliated with Hezbollah.

If they flee, some may never return to their homes.

Villages are under siege.

The Israeli military is blocking the road to Débel, and conditions are deteriorating.

We cannot leave or move, we are trapped.

We no longer have access to drinking water.

We had a well, but Israel now occupies the area where it is located.

More on Iran

Topic: Explainer

Topic: War

Analysis by Alan Kohler

Topic: War

Christians in Rmeich near the Israel-Lebanon border are refusing to leave their homes.

The Israel Defense Forces did not respond to questions about the attack in Débel.

Israel says it does not target civilians and only strikes Hezbollah militants and infrastructure.

Israel plans to seize and control southern Lebanon to create a buffer zone against Hezbollah.

Israel's defence minister plans to demolish all homes in border villages to create a security buffer zone.

All homes in Lebanese villages near the border will be destroyed, like in Gaza.

The Christian village of Rmeich is just 2 kilometres from the Israel-Lebanon border.

Speech therapist Teresa Touma is determined to stay in her home.

I stayed because leaving feels like giving up everything that defines me.

Yes, I'm afraid, but staying is also a way of holding on to who we are.

We are not just people passing through, we are rooted here, it's our land, our identity.

Teresa Touma is determined to remain in her home in southern Lebanon.

Many villages in southern Lebanon suffered destruction during the previous war with Hezbollah.

By late 2024, over 1 million Lebanese had been displaced, and some still haven't returned home.

The US helped broker a ceasefire, but Israeli troops remained and air strikes continued.

The IDF said its strikes were on Hezbollah targets, but over 100 civilians were killed during the ceasefire.

'We're under bombardment': Christians call for help

Israel's military hasn't stated whether Christian villages will be spared demolition or displacement.

The Lebanese Army pulled out of the area, and residents can no longer get food and medical supplies.

The parish priest Father Najib al-Amil issued a public plea for the state to protect the village.

Please do not leave us, Father Najib al-Amil called on the army.

On the outskirts of the town, we're under bombardment.

If someone goes after their sheep or goats, Israel will bomb them.

For that reason, we don't dare go outside the town.

Father Najib al-Amil called on the government and army to protect the village and residents.

In the south, the latest war has sparked fears of another long-term occupation.

Many older residents remember the Israeli occupation in 1982, which ended in 2000.

Southern Lebanon has a long history of conflict with Israel, but this time feels different.

Ms Touma listens to the sounds of Israeli bombs nearby and is fearful.

She is putting her faith in God and hopes her village won't be hit.

And what scares us the most is how quickly everything can change.

In one moment, you are speaking, the next moment, everything could be gone.

The future feels unclear, almost blurred.

But despite everything, there is a small part of us that refuses to stop hoping.

Rmeich is one of many Christian villages in Lebanon's south, close to the Israeli border.

Israeli strikes have killed nearly 1,300 people in Lebanon and displaced over a million.

Bashir Nadaff is recovering in a hospital in Beirut with severe injuries.

He doesn't know why his village was attacked or if he'll ever return home.

I've built my entire life in Débel, everything I have is there.

Now I'm starting to fear that we were targeted for a reason.

Pratique d'écoute