Lebanese Archbishop: 'No one wants war'

By Olivier Bonnel

Once again, the people of southern Lebanon feel as though they are being held hostage by a conflict beyond their control.

Many have already fled the region, with thousands leaving their villages near the Israeli border since 8 October 2023, seeking refuge in Beirut or other cities further north.

Since then, daily clashes between the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and Hezbollah have become a grim routine.

The attacks on Hezbollah's telecommunications infrastructure on Tuesday, 17 September, and Wednesday, 18 September, have only heightened the anxiety and uncertainty.

Fears of a full-scale war

Beyond the immediate targets of Hezbollah fighters, Israel's announcement of a partial troop redeployment to the northern region has reignited fears of a large-scale war between Israel and Lebanon.

In the last few hours, the IDF announced new airstrikes on Hezbollah positions and an arms depot in southern Lebanon.

On Thursday, September 19, Lebanon’s outgoing Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, called on the United Nations to intervene to stop what he described as Israel's "technological war" against his country.

People, he suggested, "cannot bear the thought of another war, as the war of 2006 still weighs heavily on our minds and hearts.”

No one wants escalation

"No one wants the conflict to escalate," said Archbishop Charbel Abdallah, the Maronite Archbishop of Tyre, the major city in the south of the country.

Moreover, he recalled the fragile situation of the local population and the devastating war in 2006 between the Israeli army and Hezbollah.

Finally, the Maronite Archbishop also emphasized that despite the fighting, prayer remains at the heart of the Christian communities that have stayed in the region.