(ZENIT News / Beirut, 12.10.2024).- The once-thriving Maronite Christian village of Qaouzah, perched at 750 meters (2,460 feet) in southern Lebanon, now lies in ruins. Situated mere hundreds of meters from the Israeli border, this historically significant community became a battleground in the renewed clashes between Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters, culminating in its complete destruction on November 25.
A Village Caught in Crossfire
The devastation of Qaouzah is one of the starkest examples of the regional fallout following the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre of 1,200 Israeli civilians. As tensions escalated, Qaouzah’s strategic location, offering commanding views of Mount Carmel, Haifa, and the Mediterranean, turned it into a contested site.
Father Toni Hannéh, the village priest, remained in Qaouzah long after most of its 180 residents fled in fear. “I held daily Mass in the empty village, praying for their return,” he said in a December 3 interview. Eventually, the worsening danger forced him to leave as well. Only one of the village’s 88 houses remains intact, and the church of St. Joseph, built in 1927, was heavily damaged.
The Targeting of Christian Communities
Unlike Qaouzah, nearby Christian villages such as Debel avoided similar devastation. Many residents declared neutrality through diplomatic channels, limiting their losses. However, local sources suggest that Hezbollah frequently establishes operations in Christian areas to shield Muslim-majority villages from Israeli retaliation.
This strategy has profound implications. “Hezbollah is exploiting the conflict to weaken the Christian presence in Lebanon,” said a local Christian source. The group reportedly occupies abandoned homes and conducts activities that invite destruction, further eroding the Christian cultural and economic footprint.
Economic and Cultural Losses
Qaouzah’s destruction extends beyond its buildings, impacting vital agricultural resources that sustained the broader region. Fields of zaatar (a prized Middle Eastern thyme) and olive groves were key to the village’s economy.
Before the conflict, Qaouzah’s cooperative produced over 800 kilograms of dried zaatar annually, cultivated on 12,000 square meters of land. Its 8,000 olive trees yielded 50,000 liters of oil each year. Now, this economic engine is paralyzed, with the soil contaminated by phosphorus from bombings. Experts estimate it will take at least five years to restore agricultural activity.
The village also held archaeological treasures, including Roman-era artifacts and a monastery linked to St. Helena. These cultural assets, vital to Lebanon’s Christian heritage, face an uncertain future.
The Fight to Rebuild
Despite the destruction, displaced Christians are determined to reclaim Qaouzah. Father Hannéh emphasized the residents’ resilience: “They are already organizing efforts to rebuild their homes, revive the cooperative, and preserve their heritage.”
He called for international Christian solidarity to accelerate the recovery. “Without external support, the dream of returning to Qaouzah will be difficult to realize,” he said.
Father Hannéh remains hopeful, drawing on the Christian ethos of resurrection: “The faithful, though wounded, refuse to give up. They see their village rising again, like Christ—crucified, resurrected, and glorified.”
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