The church of Ain Ibl, during a visit by the apostolic nuncio, as part of an aid convoy for the residents, on March 16, 2026. (Credit: Lucile Wassermann/L'Orient-Le Jour)
“We risk being completely cut off from the outside world,” Rakan says, his voice worried over the phone lagging due to unstable connection from Ain Ibl in the Bint Jbeil district. It is yet another challenge for the roughly 1,100 residents who remain in this predominantly Christian border village, trapped amid ongoing battle between Hezbollah and the Israeli army as Israel presses its invasion in southern Lebanon."The mobile networks and Wi-Fi are down most of the time," says Rakan, a father who works online for an NGO. His job is now at risk. The disruptions are also affecting children’s education, as they are forced to attend classes remotely. On Monday, all lines were cut for several hours, and internet access was disrupted after a strike hit a relay antenna in the nearby town of Kafra. "The village panicked,"...
“We risk being completely cut off from the outside world,” Rakan says, his voice worried over the phone lagging due to unstable connection from Ain Ibl in the Bint Jbeil district. It is yet another challenge for the roughly 1,100 residents who remain in this predominantly Christian border village, trapped amid ongoing battle between Hezbollah and the Israeli army as Israel presses its invasion in southern Lebanon."The mobile networks and Wi-Fi are down most of the time," says Rakan, a father who works online for an NGO. His job is now at risk. The disruptions are also affecting children’s education, as they are forced to attend classes remotely. On Monday, all lines were cut for several hours, and internet access was disrupted after a strike hit a relay antenna in the nearby town of Kafra. "The village...
