- 13:00
Rockets launched by Hezbollah on Thursday struck Saint George Church in the predominantly Christian town of Jdeidet Marjayoun, according to local sources, amid escalating clashes and an Israeli military advance in the Marjayoun district.
The incident came after residents received warnings from the Israeli army instructing civilians to remain in the southern part of the town, as Israeli artillery operations targeting Hezbollah positions in the nearby village of Dibbine were expected to intensify. Lebanon’s National News Agency later reported heavy Israeli shelling on Dibbine.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a local official from Marjayoun said the Israeli army had taken control of the heights surrounding Dibbine.
“Since the beginning of the war, a number of young men from Jdeidet Marjayoun have been guarding Saint George Church and the town square to prevent any infiltration by Hezbollah members,” the official said. “Hezbollah is fully aware that local youths are guarding these positions.”
The official added that the rockets were launched from the Mahmoudiyeh area northwest of the village, which he alleged Hezbollah uses to launch rockets and drones toward Israel and Israeli military positions.
“The rockets struck Saint George Church, while others landed near the nuns’ school in Marjayoun,” he said. “The type of rockets used remains unknown, as the Lebanese army has not yet inspected the targeted sites.”
Military sources, meanwhile, confirmed that the Lebanese army had withdrawn from the axis linking Khiam, Ebl al-Saqi, and Dibbine as Israeli forces advanced toward Marjayoun. The same sources said Dibbine was under Israeli military control as of Thursday evening.
Local officials noted that Dibbine lies a considerable distance from both Jdeidet Marjayoun’s central square and Saint George Church, raising concerns among residents over the trajectory and purpose of the rocket fire.
The military sources further warned that Israeli control over Dibbine could pave the way for an advance toward the village of Blat.
Should Israeli forces seize Blat, they would effectively control the Khiam–Ebl al-Saqi–Blat road, potentially severing the main route linking the Bekaa Valley to Khiam, the sources added.
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