The majority of the residents of the village of “Alma al-Shaab” in southern Lebanon left, after clashes along the border with Israel, since the outbreak of war between the latter and the Hama movement in the Gaza Strip, last month.
The British “Sky News” network said, “The vast majority of Alma al-Shaab’s residents, numbering 900 people, have already left for cities, such as the capital, Beirut, while rockets and shells fly above their heads.”
The few who remained in Alma al-Shaab, which has a Christian majority, found themselves caught in the crossfire between Lebanese Hezbollah and Israeli forces.
Hezbollah and other groups bomb Israeli sites from southern Lebanon on a daily basis. Israel responds by bombing border villages and towns, and says it is targeting “Hezbollah movements and facilities.”
Since the start of the escalation, 88 people have been killed in Lebanon, including 65 Hezbollah fighters and 10 civilians, according to a tally compiled by Agence France-Presse. For its part, Israel counted the killing of 6 soldiers and 3 civilians since the start of the escalation on the border between Israel and Lebanon.
Several Western countries, including the United States and France, warned of the danger of the war in Gaza expanding to Lebanon.
“Alma al-Shaab” is the only Christian village among 104 population centers in southern Lebanon, while the rest are mostly Shiite Muslims.
“We are afraid,” said Anton Consol, the principal of the local high school in the Lebanese village, adding: “When we wake up the next morning, we thank God that we are still alive.”
He continued: “This war has nothing to do with us, and this is the problem. It is sad, but what can we do?”
The escalation began on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon following the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, following an unprecedented attack launched by the Palestinian movement, which is listed on the terrorist list, on Israel on October 7.
In light of the escalation on its northern borders, since the start of the war with Hamas, Israel has evacuated tens of thousands of residents from communities located along the border with Lebanon.
Among the few remaining in the village was the head of the local Maronite church, Monsignor Maroun Ghaffari.
Speaking to Sky News, Ghafari said: “I am from the village and I have (a lot of) experience with the Lebanon wars, so I will stay with our people. There are elderly people who have no one, and we must be close to them during this tragic situation.”
2023-11-15 07:31:46
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