ISRAEL Israel: “Nasrallah eliminated.” Caritas Lebanon: “intense bombings, critical situation.”

The army announces the death of the leader of Hezbollah and number three of the organization. Father Michel Abboud speaks to of a “very difficult” situation, and the Carmelite convent is also affected by the bombs fired by the combatants. People flee “with no prospect of salvation” and emergency evacuations increase. He calls “for help and support” because “the needs are enormous.”

Beirut () – “The situation at the moment in Lebanon is very difficult, not to say critical, and it is not possible to speculate on what may happen in the future, but we know that the outlook is gloomy.” This is what the president of Caritas Lebanon, Father Michel Abboud, told , while in the country of cedars rumors are heard – fueled by the Israeli army – of the death of the leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, in the intense bombings that took place. They happen since yesterday. “There are intense bombings and strong explosions in Beirut,” continues the priest, “and the panorama is very complicated. The bombs dropped by fighter planes with the Star of David flying at low altitude over the capital have also hit our Carmelite convent” and then spread “everywhere.”

«[Desde Israel] “They say that they have targeted the leaders of Hezbollah, that they have targeted their refuges,” underlines the president of Cáritas. «Since yesterday, the population has been receiving calls and messages [anónimos] on their phones, warning them to leave their homes, because neighboring areas will be bombed. People have taken to the streets – he continues – without knowing where to go, without having a refuge to take shelter, without any prospect of salvation” in a war that, once again, from Gaza in the south as well as on the northern front of Lebanon , ends up running over – and killing – civilians.

In the morning, meanwhile, rumors about Nasrallah’s death became more and more insistent, as the Israeli army (IDF) announced in a note; he had been “eliminated” along with Hezbollah’s number three, Ali Karki, commander of the organization in the south. “Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world,” says the note published by the Idf on X, formerly Twitter, because he was assassinated along with “other Hezbollah commanders.” On the other hand, at the moment there are no official statements from the exponents of the Party of God about their leader, who had settled in Tehran some time ago but who would have made a trip to the Lebanese capital in recent days. Hence Israel’s decision to attack, authorized by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself immediately after his speech yesterday at the UN General Assembly.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army continued bombing the southern suburbs of Beirut throughout the night, following two evacuation calls issued by the military, which also affected hospitals throughout the area, also causing several victims. In response to the attacks and the (unconfirmed) assassination of its leader, the Party of God launched an avalanche of missiles into northern Israel, targeting the Ramat-David air base, southeast of Haifa, and the valley of Jezreel, while a surface-to-air rocket hit an open area in the center of the country.

Among those condemning the escalation is Syria, which speaks of “war crimes and crimes against humanity that are blasphemous” and will cause “consequences” that are “impossible to foresee.” Harsh words also come from Iran, which denounces the “inability or unwillingness of the international community and Israel’s supporters to put an end to its crimes” in Gaza and Lebanon, while the IDF mobilizes another three battalions of reservists. Meanwhile, in Beirut, L’Œuvre d’Orient denounces in a note that “militias and armed men” have forced several schools to interrupt classes in the last three days, threatening staff and forcing them “to open their doors to evacuated. The presence of militiamen and armed men inside these schools represents a threat and an objective for both the displaced and the residents of the places.’

The intensification of the conflict also on the northern front does not even spare the children, as stated in a note by the United Nations Children’s Fund, which speaks of a “terrifying” murder rate. Edouard Beigbeder, Unicef ​​representative in Lebanon, describes a country “on the brink of a crisis and a catastrophe”, with the hope that the suffering of the little ones can end as soon as possible. At least 3,000 people have been killed or injured in the south, while residents of the attacked areas have been forced to flee in a large wave of displacement.

A deeply critical situation confirmed by Fr. Abboud: “As Caritas,” he says, “we have begun to receive many calls from people who would like to be housed in shelters. We have started working for it, also because the situation is really complicated. According to some rumors,” he continues, “this critical situation could last even five or six years, further aggravating an already difficult and harsh situation.” «Caritas operators – he adds – are already working on the ground, organizing numerous aid activities, in collaboration with the Lebanese government and humanitarian associations… but it is not easy!

The number of displaced people, Father Abboud warns, continues to increase and there is already talk of “more than 70,000 people in 400 reception centers, but this is the official figure and in reality the people could be many more, also because some “They have found refuge in the home of their parents or relatives.” Now, as Caritas Lebanon says, “we are raising our voices and launching an appeal because we need help and support: what we have is for the poor, but to them we now also add the displaced, doubling our efforts and the scope of our mission. ». «We are moving», concludes the priest, «with the main donors and the international community, including the World Food Program (WFP) and Caritas sisters around the world, to prepare aid and face the emergency, but the needs are enormous.”