The 800 inhabitants of Aïn Ebel, a Christian village located four kilometers as the crow flies from the demarcation line between Lebanon and Israel, discovered, Tuesday 1is October at noon, their village on a list of 27 localities in southern Lebanon that the Israeli army urged to evacuate ” immediately “ towards the north of the country. The previous evening, Israel had announced the launch of ground operations “limited, localized and targeted”supported by aviation and artillery, against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon.
Yaroun, Maroun Al-Ras, Bint Jbeil, Tayri… All the Shiite localities around Aïn Ebel were also on the list. The residents of Aïn Ebel rushed to Rmeich, the neighboring Christian town, adjacent to the blue line, where 6,500 residents and 600 Syrian refugees still live. “The residents of Aïn Ebel are welcomed at the monastery of the Maronite order, at Notre-Dame de l’Annonciation and with parishioners. Three hundred inhabitants of Aïn Ebel took the road towards Beirut in convoy with the Lebanese army. Everyone is fine. We have enough food to last three months.”said Maronite priest Najib Amil, on the phone.
Rmeich did not receive an evacuation order, despite incessant Israeli strikes in the surrounding tobacco fields. “There is a lot of bombing around Rmeich, by planes and drones, some 500 meters from my house. We are not afraid, because we do not have Hezbollah fighters or weapons”continues Father Najib. During the 2006 war, Rmeich had already transformed into a city of refuge for 15,000 people, including residents of the neighboring town of Aïta Al-Chaab.
Bastion you Hezbollah
This Hezbollah stronghold has been emptied of its population since the start of cross-border clashes in October 2023. Only fighters from the Shiite movement remain. “We heard fighting in the night [de lundi à mardi] in Aïta Al-Chaab, shooting and bombings. The Israelis entered the fields between the blue line and the city, approximately 300 meters away. We saw on television that they said they found several tunnels there”continues Father Najib.
An Israeli security official reported “localized raids of a very limited scale” along the blue dividing line. On Wednesday morning, Hezbollah announced that it had repelled an infiltration of Israeli forces in Odaisseh, after confronting them at dawn. Further east, residents of the Sunni town of Kfar Chouba have yet to observe any incursions by the Israeli army. Surrounding villages were nevertheless evacuated under the threat of Israeli bombing.
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