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Humitarian supplies were deposited by the Israeli Army near several Christian southern Lebanese border towns on Saturday, including Rmeish, Ain Ebel, and Debel, in a cross-border arrangement organized to avoid direct contact with Lebanese citizens, local officials told This Is Beirut.
Ayoub Khreish, mayor of Ain Ebel, a border town currently on the Israeli side of the “yellow line”, said municipal authorities were notified in advance of the delivery. “We received a call informing us that supplies, coming from the United States, would be placed on the Lebanese side of the Blue Line, and that the town could retrieve them,” he told This is Beirut.
Joseph El Alam, envoy of the Lebanese Forces in the south and head of the crisis cell for frontline villages, told This is Beiut the aid was provided by the U.S.-based organization Samaritan's Purse, an evangelical Christian NGO known for disaster relief and humanitarian operations worldwide, particularly in conflict zones and areas affected by natural disasters. According to El Alam, the shipment included food, mattresses, sheets, and sanitary supplies. He said the initial contact was made on Friday, with a pickup scheduled for Saturday afternoon.
Trucks from Rmeish and Ain Ebel collected the supplies from a designated location on the Lebanese side of the border, he said, emphasizing that no Israeli military personnel were present during the retrieval. Another batch destined for Debel was collected from a seperate location, also inside Lebanese territory near the town.
El Alam added that the same organization has also been distributing aid to displaced residents from predominantly Shiite villages in southern Lebanon. The aid comes amid continued tensions along the Blue Line, where border communities have been facing increasing humanitarian strain.
Border villages continue to endure the consequences of the Israel–Hezbollah war, which has isolated many towns from the rest of the country and complicated daily life across southern Lebanon. In towns such as Rmeish, residents describe being caught between exchanges of fire across the frontier, with movement, commerce, and access to basic services severely constrained.
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