The Christian Maronite village of Al-Qaouzah, located in southern Lebanon a few hundred meters from the Israeli border, is lying in ruins. This emblematic site, home to generations of Christians, nestled at an altitude of some 750 meters (about 2,460 feet), has been the scene of clashes between the Israeli army and Hezbollah fighters since October 2023, leading to its total demolition on Nov. 25.

This border conflict stemmed from the massacre perpetrated by Hamas terrorists against 1,200 Israeli civilians on Oct. 7, 2023. As the highest village in the region, this strategic battleground simultaneously offers views stretching as far as Mount Carmel and the Israeli city of Haifa, as well as out to sea.

“Panic-stricken Christians quickly evacuated the town after the Israeli-Palestinian conflict resumed in 2023, and I remained there alone, celebrating Mass every day in the hope of their return, until the dangerousness of the situation forced me to leave last month myself,” Father Toni Hannéh told the Register in a Dec. 3 telephone interview.

According to him, only one of the 88 houses in Qaouzah was spared by the bombing raids aimed at the Islamist fighters who had been sheltering there since the departure of the inhabitants. The village church, built in 1927 and dedicated to St. Joseph, was also partially damaged.

Christian Areas Targeted by Hezbollah

None of the other Christian villages in the region suffered losses of such magnitude, as the inhabitants refused to evacuate and took the initiative of declaring their neutrality in the conflict, notably through their apostolic nuncio, Msgr. Paolo Borgia. The neighboring village of Debel, for example, suffered limited damage, with the destruction of six houses out of a total of almost 500.

However, a local source who requested anonymity asserts that Hezbollah tends to deliberately set up bases and dig tunnels in Christian areas to protect Muslim communities from Israeli reprisals. This was notably the case, according to him, in the mixed village of Yaroun, whose Christian section was widely destroyed in the strikes.

“Hezbollah is taking advantage of these armed clashes with Israel to weaken the Christian presence on Lebanese territory, either by taking possession of deserted houses, or by carrying out operations that will lead to the destruction of their heritage,” said this Christian source.

The parish priest of Qaouzah estimates that 180 Christians lived in the village at the start of the border conflict, a large proportion of whom have already left over the last five years as a result of the socioeconomic crisis exacerbated by the COVID crisis.

Economic and Cultural Loss for the Region

This development is all the more worrying as the village has historically been rich in agricultural resources that have benefited the entire region, mainly fields of zaatar, a type of green thyme from the Middle East, olive trees and numerous farms, most of which went up in smoke during the bombing raids.

According to a report by L’Orient-Le Jour in 2022, the cooperative founded by villagers in 2012 produced around 821kg of dried zaatar yearly using 5.5 tons of green thyme from over 12,000 square meters (129,167 square feet) of cultivated land. Father Hannéh, on the other hand, said that the 8,000 or so olive trees present on the territory before the war enabled the production of 50,000 liters of oil per year.

“This represents a huge loss for the region, and we already know that it will not be possible to resume normal production for another five years at the earliest, as the soil will first have to be cleaned of the traces of phosphorus spilled during the conflict,” Father Hannéh added. He fears that the destruction of economic activity will lead to the definitive disappearance of the Christians from this village, which, according to L’Orient-Le Jour is home to archaeological treasures dating back to Roman times — and even a monastery built at the time of St. Helena.

“However, the displaced Christians remain committed to returning to their land and are already trying to organize themselves to recover this agricultural cooperative and ensure the survival of their cultural heritage,” the priest continued, pointing out that this would not be possible without international Christian solidarity, which would enable the inhabitants to rebuild their homes promptly and envisage a dignified and serene future for their families.

“The faithful I am in touch with, although bruised by the loss of their ancestral land, have no intention of giving up and aspire only to see Qaouzah rise from its ashes,” he said, “in the image of Christ crucified, resurrected and raised in glory.”