Religious leaders from the port city of Tyre in southern Lebanon have urged the international community and Lebanese officials to intervene to prevent Israel from attacking the Christian district of the city.

The statement was signed by George Iskandar, the Melkite metropolitan archbishop; Elias Kfoury, the Greek Orthodox metropolitan; and Charbel Abdullah, the Maronite archeparch.

The Israeli military has issued an urgent evacuation order for the city, including its Christian quarter, warning of continued attacks aimed at Hezbollah.

The number of people killed by Israeli strikes in Lebanon since the beginning of March has reached 3,666.  One in five Lebanese people are currently displaced.

CAFOD’s director of advocacy, Neil Thorns, said that their partners on the ground are continuing to respond to the most urgent humanitarian needs and to call for accountability and justice.

CAFOD works with local partners in Lebanon to provide food, water, and essential items to the displaced, as well as providing health support such as medicine, medical consultations and tests and psychosocial and legal support.

They are also supporting local humanitarian workers who have been displaced, and providing small grants for grassroots initiatives to respond urgently to people’s needs, supporting the most marginalised people who are not necessarily supported by the NGO networks.

“As Iran, Israel and Hezbollah trade attacks in the skies, we know of families being torn apart on the ground, with more lives lost and homes destroyed,” Thorns said. 

“What’s needed are leaders who will take concrete actions towards a just and lasting peace. This evacuation order comes only days after the latest agreed ceasefire. Peace without justice is not real peace.”