Worshippers walk in the rain during the Palm Sunday procession at the Maronite Saint George Church in the Christian border village of Qlaya, in southern Lebanon, on March 29, 2026. (Photo: AFP)
Without the army, what future awaits the Christian villages of South Lebanon? In these areas where Hezbollah is not truly present, residents are adamant about staying put. But the withdrawal of the Lebanese Army from Rmeish, Ain Ibl, Dibl, and Qlaya severs their last connection to the central government and leaves them abandoned to their fate. At a time when the Israelis are continuing their ground invasion, residents could soon find themselves under military occupation, or even forced to permanently leave their villages. Israeli invasion mapped out Israel seeks to consolidate in the eastern sector as fighting resumes in Khiam: An updated map of its invasion of south Lebanon Consequently, the decision to withdraw soldiers from the still-inhabited villages of southern Lebanon sparked controversy. Many observers argue that the army...
Without the army, what future awaits the Christian villages of South Lebanon? In these areas where Hezbollah is not truly present, residents are adamant about staying put. But the withdrawal of the Lebanese Army from Rmeish, Ain Ibl, Dibl, and Qlaya severs their last connection to the central government and leaves them abandoned to their fate. At a time when the Israelis are continuing their ground invasion, residents could soon find themselves under military occupation, or even forced to permanently leave their villages. Israeli invasion mapped out Israel seeks to consolidate in the eastern sector as fighting resumes in Khiam: An updated map of its invasion of south Lebanon Consequently, the decision to withdraw soldiers from the still-inhabited villages of southern Lebanon sparked controversy. Many observers argue that the army...
