An Israeli threat to target the Christian quarter in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre has drawn renewed attention to one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods and one of the most closely tied to its social and religious history.
The quarter, home to churches and heritage buildings and long seen as a symbol of Tyre’s pluralism, suddenly found itself at the center of the ongoing military escalation in southern Lebanon.
As fears grow that attacks could expand, residents of the neighborhood are living in a state of anxiety and anticipation.
Local officials and residents say the area is an authentic part of the city’s historic fabric, which includes sites listed as World Heritage sites, warning that any escalation could threaten both its residents and its long-standing architectural heritage.
On Tuesday, the Israeli army threatened to force residents of the Christian quarter to leave, alleging Hezbollah activity in the area.
Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee claimed the evacuation order for several areas in Tyre did not include the city’s Christian quarter.
He threatened that if Hezbollah members allegedly continued to operate and remain inside the Christian quarter, the Israeli army would issue an evacuation warning for it.
The Israeli warning caused concern among residents and prompted the Lebanese army to take security and precautionary measures in the area.
The neighborhood, known locally as “Haret al-Masihiyin,” or the Christian quarter, is in the northwestern part of Tyre. It includes churches, heritage buildings and old alleys dating to different historical periods and is one of the most prominent urban landmarks reflecting the coastal city’s diverse character.
Tyre is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Its roots date back to Phoenician civilization, and it includes archaeological sites listed by UNESCO as World Heritage sites.
Although Tyre and its district have a Shiite majority, the Christian quarter maintains its historical and religious presence. Christian families have lived there for decades, and the neighborhood includes church, educational and social institutions that have played a prominent role in the city’s public life.
Tyre municipal council member Walid al-Taweel, a resident of the neighborhood, told Anadolu that the old neighborhoods of Tyre, despite their names, are not based on sectarian divisions but are historically mixed residential areas.
“What is happening is more linked to temporary displacement than to a permanent change in the population structure,” he said, referring to the displacement of southern families whose areas were bombed by Israel to other neighborhoods in Tyre, including the Christian quarter.
The Israeli threat raised fears among Tyre residents that attacks could expand to include densely populated neighborhoods, especially as the city is a major residential and economic center in southern Lebanon.
Residents fear that any new escalation could cause another wave of displacement, at a time when the city is facing growing economic and service pressures amid the ongoing Israeli attacks in the south.
The neighborhood, which has a Christian majority and draws visitors in the summer, has become almost empty as residents leave because of security concerns, while others prepare to leave in anticipation of any attacks.
Tyre, a coastal city that is one of southern Lebanon’s largest cities and shelters thousands of displaced people from nearby villages, has faced extensive Israeli strikes since the start of the war, despite the announcement of a ceasefire on April 17.
Taweel said the neighborhood is home to about 13,000 people, most of them Christians, while the number of people actually living in some of Tyre’s old neighborhoods does not exceed about 2,000, or nearly 800 families.
Local estimates indicate that the number of residents has gradually declined because of waves of departures linked to growing fears of Israeli attacks.
The number dropped at earlier stages to about 250 families, or about 450 people, before reaching about 100 people in some neighborhoods at the height of tensions, Taweel said.
“Tyre is one of Lebanon’s most prominent historic cities, with a history of about 5,000 years. Several civilizations passed through it, including the Canaanite, Phoenician and Roman civilizations, making it part of global human heritage,” he said.
“Some buildings in the old neighborhoods are between 200 and 250 years old,” he said, warning that any attacks in a densely built environment could cause broad damage.
“Population and building density make any possible escalation a double threat to the city’s historical and residential fabric,” he added.
“The situation in the neighborhood remains calm so far, with no direct Israeli attacks recorded,” Taweel continued.
He expressed hope that the situation would stabilize in Tyre and across Lebanon, saying the current tension requires a quick end and a return to normal life.
“The continuing situation has exhausted all Lebanese without exception, whether in areas directly affected or in areas living with anxiety and anticipation,” he said. “Everyone now needs a break from this prolonged pressure.”
Taweel called for solutions that would end the current state of tension in a way that protects “the interest of the city and the country as a whole,” expressing hope that this phase would end as soon as possible and restore stability to daily life.
Garo Madi, a resident of the neighborhood, said the Israeli threat caused confusion among residents.
“We are all people and brothers here. There is no stranger in the neighborhood. They are all families, all women and children,” he told Anadolu.
Metropolitan George Iskandar, the pastor of the Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Tyre, said in a statement that the city’s people will remain in Tyre despite the difficult conditions, describing their presence as “a historical extension rooted in the land.”
Iskandar called for protecting civilians and sparing the city the consequences of war, expressing hope that wisdom would prevail to prevent further escalation.
“Human solidarity is stronger than fear,” he said.
Israel has launched a deadly offensive against Lebanon since March 2, killing at least 3,666 people, injuring 11,321 others and displacing more than 1 million, according to official figures.
Despite a ceasefire that began April 17 and was extended until early July, Israel has continued the offensive through daily deadly shelling and the widespread demolition of homes in dozens of villages in southern Lebanon.
*Writing by Lina Altawell in Istanbul
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