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The dangerous journey home for Christian communities in southern Lebanon

September 6, 2026 · 1 min read

Along Lebanon’s southern border with Israel, three Christian villages have found themselves caught on the front line of a war they neither chose nor supported.

Ain Ebel, Rmeich and Debl, known locally as the “Delta of Resilience”, are the last inhabited Christian towns in Lebanon’s border region. Since fighting between Israel and Hezbollah escalated into a full-scale war in 2024, residents have endured deaths, destruction and growing isolation from the rest of the country.

Today, even returning home has become a grueling journey. With the usual roads damaged or inaccessible, residents must travel in organized convoys through military checkpoints and Israeli-occupied territory, an ordeal some have come to call “road to Calvary.”

Convoys travel to the villages almost daily, usually accompanied by Caritas and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Carrying humanitarian assistance, they usually include approximately 30 cars and trucks. Yet a journey that once took around two hours from Beirut can now last 12 hours or more.

The day begins at approximately 5 a.m., and the convoy may not reach the villages until after 6 p.m. One of the first stops is a Lebanese…

Source: Catholic News Agency · Read the full story →

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Elena Stoica

Sad what he says here about those convoys that last 12 hours instead of two. I found the "road to Calvary" concrete - as if it is an extra cross for the Christians of Ain Ebel, Rmeich and Debl who did not ask for this war. Do Caritas and UNIFIL manage to bring at least enough food every day?

Dragan Milošević

Yes, those 12 hours instead of 2 hours sounds like a real cross. One wonders how much food and medicine reaches Ain Ebel and Rmeich when half a day is spent waiting at checkpoints. At least Caritas goes regularly, that's at least some hope for those people.

Ηλίας Μακρής

It's a pity that the villages of Ain Ebel, Rmeich and Debl are called "Delta of Resilience" and now the route takes 12 hours instead of 2. The "road to Calvary" written in the article struck me, because it really looks like a cross that these people did not choose. I wonder if the Caritas trucks manage to drop off bread and medicine before nightfall.

James Bennett

The 12-hour convoy grind instead of two really hits home – those poor folks in Ain Ebel, Rmeich and Debl didn't ask for any of this. Calling it the "road to Calvary" is spot on, especially with Caritas and UNIFIL tagging along just to get basic supplies through the checkpoints. Makes you wonder how much actually makes it there before dark.