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(LifeSiteNews) — Catholic leaders continue to decry Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon as a result of the war in Iran.
Syriac Catholic Bishop Jules Boutros spoke to Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), saying that many Israeli strikes have occurred in majority Christian areas under the pretense of attacking Hezbollah militants in the region.
“We recently had two attacks on hotels in Beirut, one of which is in a mostly Christian neighbourhood,” said Boutros.
“And of course, anybody could be staying in a hotel. I can’t know if a Hezbollah militant has rented the apartment above me, or if some Lebanese citizen rented a house and then ceded it to an Iranian person.”
Boutros then recounted some of the disastrous effects on the Christian populations as a result of Israeli strikes, including the death of Maronite Catholic priest Fr. Pierre al-Rahi.
“They have attacked Christian villages in the south, and even killed a priest, Fr Pierre El-Raï,” stated Boutros.
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“They might have been attacked because some house welcomed a Shi‘a family, or a Hezbollah militant passed by. They attack anyone, anywhere. We can’t say there is a safe place in Lebanon.”
On March 9, Fr. al-Rahi was killed by an Israeli tank strike in the Christian town of Qlayaa, Lebanon. The priest had allegedly rushed to the site of a bombing to aid the wounded when Israeli forces conducted a “double tap” strike that mortally wounded him.
As a result of the killing, Priests Against Genocide responded by calling the double-tap strike a humanitarian crime.
“This double-tap, which deliberately targets rescuers, is a brutal violation of humanitarian law,” stated the association.
“Father Pierre, 50, had chosen not to abandon his flock despite evacuation orders, bearing witness that faith does not flee in the face of threat.”
Boutros explained that these attacks have displaced many Christians, with some fleeing after the repeated attacks.
“They have emptied the entire south of Lebanon. We are talking about hundreds of villages,” said the bishop.
“The people who have left do not know if they will ever be able to return, and that is catastrophic. We are very attached to our land. Our ancestors built those homes, cared for them, planted the olive trees, and all of that is at risk.”
