In Rmaish, a ‘bloodbath was avoided by a hair’s breadth’

At first, it seemed of little concern: a matter of young people chopping wood last week near the border with Israel. But things quickly spiraled when members of Green Without Borders, an NGO known for its affiliation with Hezbollah, intercepted the young residents of Rmaish, a majority-Christian village, as they were cutting down trees near their homes.Push came to shove, and residents took up arms and mobilized, after Hezbollah gunmen threatened the youth and warned that they were capable of “kicking out the entire village in less than five minutes,” according to a Rmaish resident.The incident escalated to such an extent that the army intervened to put an end to what could have turned into a second version of the Tayyouneh clashes, when individuals allegedly affiliated with the Lebanese Forces pushed demonstrators linked to Hezbollah...