Residents issue plea to Lebanese government to save historic city of Sour and rest of Lebanon from further Israeli attacks

SOUTH LEBANON — We have received the following call from a group of residents of Sour, who are advocating for national sovereignty in this historic city and throughout the country, in order to protect our land and our nation from conflicts waged in the name of interests that are not our own, and to ensure that southern Lebanon is no longer held hostage by regional calculations and negotiations that go beyond it.

The call from Sour — May 29, 2026

We, residents and citizens of Sour and its region, are today issuing a solemn appeal to save our city from the cycle of destruction that has plagued it for many months.

Israeli attacks have already cost the lives of dozens of our fellow citizens and continue to threaten the very existence of our city, its heritage, its social fabric, and its history. They target civilians and infrastructure alike and are aimed at gradually emptying the region of its inhabitants.

In light of this situation, our moral and civic responsibility compels us to speak out with a duty to freedom and truth.

Our aspiration is that of any people who wish to live in dignity and peace: to bring an end to the war, protect our land and nation from conflicts waged for interests that are not our own, and to ensure that southern Lebanon is no longer held hostage by regional calculations and negotiations that surpass it.

We also reaffirm the necessity of having the Lebanese state exercise full sovereignty over all its territory.

Our call is aimed above all at putting an end to the destruction of Sour and at achieving a comprehensive cease-fire throughout Lebanese territory.

To this end, we request:

• That the Lebanese government intensify its diplomatic and political efforts to protect the historic city of Sour from ongoing attacks and destruction.

• That the Lebanese Army and official security forces be deployed in the city and its surroundings, to guarantee the safety of residents, the stability of the region, and respect for state authority.

• That Sour be declared an “open city,” free of any armed presence, to enable the return of its residents and ensure the protection of residents and displaced persons.

• That humanitarian corridors be guaranteed for the delivery of humanitarian, medical, and relief aid, as well as the continuity of essential services for the residents of Sour and neighboring towns.

• That all necessary efforts be made to achieve an effective cease-fire in Sour, Nabatieh, and all of southern Lebanon.

Our call is addressed to the President of the Republic, the Speaker of Parliament, the Prime Minister, and the Lebanese government, so that they may fully assume their national and historical responsibilities.

The protection of the cities of the South, and especially of Sour — which today constitutes a vital refuge for thousands of southern Lebanese and is essential for their continued presence on their land — is a major national responsibility.

Preserving Sour from destruction is not a local or partisan cause. It is a national cause that affects the very future of Lebanon, the preservation of its heritage, the security of its people, and the continuity of its state.

The signatories

Ezzedine Abou Hamzeh — Naji Abou Khalil — Zein Abou Khalil — Khayrieh Abou Samra — Zeinab Aliane — Aida Arab — Issam Arab — Hala Arnaout — Hassan Arnaout — Mohammad Asaad — Issa Atallah — Mia Atoui — Salafa Tayssir Awad — Samah Tayssir Awad — Kamel Bachir — Maroun Badr — Mohammad Basma — Iman Berri — Mariam Bitar — Suzanne Elie Bradai — Elieane Elie Bradaï — Sophia Elias Bradai — Hasan Bzeih — Diala Bzeih — Maysoun Bzeih — Hayat Chaaban — Tarek Charaf — Wissam Charaf — Nazem Dia — Sandra Diab — Sandy al Aar — Fadi al Achkar — Jamila al Ali — Ahmad al Derr — Muslim al Derr — Ali al Halabi — Islam al Hassan — Hazem al Khalil — Maha al Khalil — Jaafar al Salmane — Rana al Sawi — Karim al Souki — Ali Ezzeddine — Hanane Mahmoud Ezzeddine — Hasan Jamil Ezzeddine — Hassan Ezzeddine — Hussein Ezzeddine — Ismail Ezzeddine — Maya Ezzeddine — Mounira Ezzeddine — Randa Ezzeddine — Youlla Ezzeddine — Fatima Fakih — Hassan Faqih — Hadi Farah — Ibrahim Faraj — Mounif Faraj — Hamza Ali Fatouni — Sabrine Faisal Fneish — Nasser Frang — Batoul Mohammad Ghabris — Ahmad Gharib — Amer Hashem — Racha Hachem — Rima Hashem — Mariam Haj — Hatem Fawzi Halaoui — Zeinab Hamadeh — Abbas Hamzeh — Rana Hammoud — Bilal Hassan — Hassab Diab Ismael — Houssam Ismail — Doha Mostafa Jaafar — Souleimane Shawqi Jahmi — Salwa Jeha — Houreih Kahawaji — Zeina Hasan Khadra — Neamt Kreidly — Ibtihaj Lattouf — Nermin Mahmoud — Serine Mahmoud — Ziad Mahmoud — Nader Mallah — Nabil Mamlouk — Adel Mehna — Ali Meligi — Mariam Ahmad Mohammad — Amani Muslimani — Ali Qachmar — Maha Reda — Ali Reda — Zeina Abdul Reda — Rabie Rifaie — Ahmad Saab — Zaynab Saed — Sharif Safieddine — Farah Safieddine — Karim Safieddine* — Maya Safieddine — Mona Safieddine — Yassine Khalil Shebly — Khalil Shougry — Katia Skayki — Fouad Sleiman — Nour Sultani — Haitham Tahini — Maha Taleb — Tarek Taleb — Amal Wazni — Ibrahim Mahmoud Zayyat

*A reader with the same name asks us to clarify that this is not Karim Ghassan Safieddine.

Des habitants de Tyr lancent un appel pour sauver la ville historique et le Liban