Residents of Al-Qozah appeal for protection of town and sacred sites

Residents of the Christian town of Al-Qozah in southern Lebanon have appealed to the papal nuncio, Monsignor Paolo Borgia, and the American ambassador, Michael Issa, to intervene to ensure the town remains neutral. The residents requested protection for their sacred sites so that families may return to their homes.

Father Antonios Hanna, the parish priest, reported that approximately 54 families lived in the town before the recent displacement. During a summer visit permitted by the coordination committee with UNIFIL and the Lebanese army, Father Hanna found the interior and roof of St. Joseph Church heavily damaged. He noted that the Holy Eucharist was scattered on the floor, which he collected and moved to a church in Deebl. Father Hanna also reported damage to many homes and signs that some graves had been bulldozed.