JAKARTA - A series of aid vehicle convoys organized by the Vatican envoy to Lebanon headed for Christian villages in southern Lebanon were stopped by the Israeli military and forced to change direction on Friday, June 12
A number of villages with a majority of Christians near the Lebanon-Israel border have been trapped in Israel's attacks, which have become increasingly intense recently. However, the residents still remain in their birthplace even though the Israeli army continues to attack their villages.
"When approaching the village of Debl on Thursday, we came face to face with several Israeli tanks" which stopped the convoy, a member of the convoy of aid vehicles told AFP on condition of anonymity.
"There were several shots of tanks and machine guns towards the rear position which we could not identify... which caused panic," he added.
The source added, it was unclear "whether the Israeli army wanted to intimidate us or they were targeting Hezbollah positions".
When asked for confirmation, the Israeli military and the Vatican have yet to respond to AFP's inquiries.
The convoy of vehicles for Christian villages in southern Lebanon was led by Apostolic Nuncio Paolo Borgia. In total, there were 25 aid trucks and several cars carrying residents who wanted to return to their homes.
The route to the location was coordinated with UN peacekeepers through an international committee formed to monitor the ceasefire aimed at ending the 2024 Israel-Hezbollah conflict.
The source added that after being harassed by the Israeli army for more than an hour, the convoy took a longer route to reach their destination after 12 hours.
Vincent Gelot, head of the Catholic organisation Oeuvre d'Orient which regularly takes part in aid convoys, said those who choose to stay in their villages are "completely isolated from the rest of the country".
"They lack resources because most of them are farmers. They don't have access to their fields," he said.
The Christian villages in southern Lebanon are surrounded by areas and regions that the Israeli army has ordered to be evacuated. Gelot said that the villagers "are in danger of disappearing" by the Israeli attack.
On Tuesday this week, the association of Christian border villages in southern Lebanon urged the authorities to "immediately open safe humanitarian and medical corridors to ensure access for residents, aid, and medical teams as well as aid to affected and isolated villages".
Meanwhile, on June 2, an Israeli drone attack killed a student along with her father and brother as she returned to her border village after taking a university exam in Beirut.
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