The Christian Quarter in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre had remained outside the scope of Israeli attacks since the war began in 2023, before it was added this week to a list of neighborhoods threatened with evacuation -- raising concern among residents for the first time since the escalation began.
Under the slogan, “I would rather die in my home than suffer on the roads,” many residents are refusing to leave despite the looming threat.
They say they are civilians with no link to any military activity, stressing that the neighborhood has never been a launch point for armed resistance.
The Christian Quarter in northwestern Tyre houses churches, heritage buildings and historical alleys. It is among the most prominent urban landmarks reflecting the coastal city’s diverse character.
The Israeli army threatened Tuesday to force residents of the Christian quarter to leave, alleging Hezbollah activity inside it. It said that if members of the group continue to operate and remain inside the neighborhood, the army would issue an evacuation warning.
The threat comes amid continued military escalation in Tyre and its surroundings, after the Israeli army issued evacuation warnings for wide areas of the city and surrounding neighborhoods, followed by airstrikes on several areas in southern Lebanon.
The Israeli warning caused concern among residents of the neighborhood, most of whom are Christians, and prompted the Lebanese army to take security and precautionary measures in the area.
Refusing to evacuate
Despite the threat, many Christians living in the neighborhood have refused to leave their homes, saying they have no connection to the war.
They said their position is similar to that of residents in the Christian border towns of Rmeish, Debel and Ain Ebel.
Metropolitan George Iskandar, the Melkite Greek Catholic archbishop of Tyre and its surroundings, also refused to leave his monastery in Tyre.
“We are staying in the city of Tyre, among our people and our community, as our fathers and grandfathers stayed before us, and as the steadfast people of the south remain today on their land and in their villages and cities,” Iskandar said in a statement.
“Our presence among the people is not a temporary choice, but part of our mission and our national, humanitarian and spiritual duty. Just as we share joys with our people, we also share anxiety, suffering and hope with them,” he said.
“We will not leave this city, blessed by the feet of Jesus Christ, which throughout history has carried the testimony of faith and steadfastness,” he added.
Muslims live alongside Christians: deputy mayor
Alwan Sharafeddine, deputy mayor of Tyre, told Anadolu that Christian Quarter is a name used by the Israeli army, but that it is part of Tyre’s old neighborhoods, which include a Christian neighborhood and a Muslim neighborhood.
“Before the Israeli threat, about 250 families lived in the Christian Quarter,” Sharafeddine said.
“About 50 families remain and have refused to leave, while many residents of the Muslim neighborhood have not left or evacuated their homes because it is a working-class neighborhood and many cannot afford to move elsewhere,” he said.
With shelters full because about 1 million people have been displaced since the war began on March 2, “it was not easy for displaced people to find places to shelter,” Sharafeddine said.
Those who left immediately after the warning slept on sidewalks and in parks, set up tents or spent the night in their cars, he said.
“This was the first time a direct threat had been directed at the neighborhood, although the entire city of Tyre had previously faced threats,” Sharafeddine said.
A merchant from the Christian Quarter, who asked not to be named, told Anadolu that the war has caused major economic losses, especially after business owners closed their shops.
He said residents felt deep concern after threats were issued against the Christian Quarter, but many chose to stay in their homes.
No military activity
Asked whether suspicious movements had been observed recently in the old neighborhoods, Sharafeddine said: “The city includes about 30,000 people, between displaced people and those who remained, and naturally there are displaced people there from outside Tyre.”
“But it is not possible to determine whether they belong to parties or to know their full identities. They are civilians and unarmed, but Israel classifies people as it wants,” he said.
“Everyone in the Christian neighborhood is from Tyre, while displaced people from villages near Tyre have taken shelter in the Muslim neighborhood,” Sharafeddine said.
The local official stressed that the city is not a launch point for any armed resistance.
Church appeal
After the Israeli threat, Tyre’s bishops issued an urgent appeal to Lebanese political and military authorities and the international community.
“The old quarter that includes the Christian neighborhood is not merely a residential neighborhood, but represents the historic and human heart of the city, and includes thousands of civilians, including families, children and the elderly, in addition to embracing a civilizational, cultural and religious heritage that extends for centuries,” the statement said.
“Any targeting of the Christian quarter would constitute a humanitarian and national catastrophe,” the bishops warned, calling on Lebanese officials to “make every political, diplomatic and security effort to protect civilians and preserve property.”
They appealed to the international community and United Nations bodies to intervene to protect residents under the provisions of international humanitarian law and prevent them from being exposed to further dangers.
“The bishops and Christian clergy may have played an influential role in keeping the area from being targeted so far, after about three days passed since the threat without an attack on the neighborhood,” the merchant said.
He said pressure from church authorities may have contributed to that, and that some residents who had left their homes returned.
Church bodies declined to comment on the situation in the neighborhood or on whether they had exerted pressure to prevent its evacuation, telling Anadolu only: “Our role is to pray.”
Historical importance
Speaking about Tyre’s history and importance, Sharafeddine said it is a city “blessed by Jesus Christ” and marked by coexistence.
“The city of Tyre has always been a model of coexistence among its people,” the merchant added, echoing the view.
He stressed that residents are seeking to protect their homes and families, are far from political disputes and have nothing to do with the current tensions.
“The city is more than 5,000 years old, is listed as a World Heritage site and has seen several civilizations pass through it. Therefore, it must be a neutral city that is not targeted, and it should receive international protection,” Sharafeddine said.
He said previous attacks destroyed much of historical Tyre.
Israel has been waging an offensive on Lebanon since March 2 that has killed 3,711 people and wounded 11,483 others as of Thursday, in addition to displacing more than 1 million people.
Despite a cease-fire that began April 17, Israel has continued the offensive through daily deadly shelling and the widespread demolition of homes in dozens of villages.
*Writing by Lina Altawell in Istanbul
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