Christian Leaders in the Lebanese City of Tyre Urge for Action After Israel's Evacuation Warning

Christian religious leaders in Lebanon’s southern port city of Tyre urged the international community and Lebanese officials to act quickly to prevent Israel from attacking the Christian district, which has remained largely spared in recent airstrikes. The Israeli military issued an evacuation warning for Tyre, including the Christian quarter, after airstrikes in nearby neighborhoods killed eight people and wounded 32 others, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. The statement was signed by George Iskandar, metropolitan archbishop of Tyre for the Melkite Greek Catholic Church; Elias Kfoury, Greek Orthodox metropolitan of Tyre, Sidon, and Dependencies; and Charbel Abdullah, archeparch of the Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Tyre. Hundreds of residents fled the Christian district along the Mediterranean coast, with Civil Defense teams evacuating elderly civilians to safer areas. Traffic on Lebanon’s coastal highway ground to a halt as families packed cars with mattresses, luggage, and furniture, struggling to escape the escalating violence. The Israeli warning followed a surge in tensions after Israel and Iran exchanged strikes, with Israel targeting Hezbollah in Beirut on Sunday. The conflict, which began on March 2 after Hezbollah fired rockets at northern Israel, has led to widespread destruction in Tyre, Lebanon’s fourth-largest city. The clergy emphasized that the old quarter of Tyre is not just a residential area but a UNESCO World Heritage Site with centuries of cultural, religious, and civilizational significance, home to thousands of civilians. Kfoury warned that the war is not just against Hezbollah but against all of Lebanon, describing the ongoing violence as a ‘destructive war’ with irreversible consequences. The leaders stressed that any destruction of the old quarter would constitute a humanitarian and national catastrophe, urging immediate action to spare the area from further attacks.