Maronite bishops call on UNIFIL to facilitate humanitarian aid and protect residents in southern Lebanon

The Maronite bishops, gathered under the leadership of Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai, on Wednesday called on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to assist the populations of the still-inhabited Christian villages of south Lebanon and the border strip, who refuse to leave the region despite Israeli attacks and ongoing clashes with Hezbollah in the area.

In a statement issued after their monthly meeting in Bkirki, the bishops noted that U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 provides for UNIFIL to ensure access to humanitarian aid for civilian populations and to protect civilians "exposed to an imminent threat of physical violence."

Many villagers remain on their land and appealed to the Lebanese authorities Tuesday to come to their aid, especially following the departure of the Lebanese army, which nevertheless said it maintains a military presence in the different localities. These include the villages of Rmeish, Ain Ibl, Qlayaa, and Dibil.

The bishops commended, in this context, the initiative of Apostolic Nuncio Paolo Borgia, the local churches and the NGO Caritas, which have sent several aid convoys to these villages in recent weeks. They also called, together with Pope Leo XIV, for "an end to hostilities in the Middle East and for the use of dialogue to establish a lasting and secure peace."

Les évêques maronites appellent la Finul à faciliter l'accès à l'aide humanitaire et la protection des habitants du Liban-Sud