As the United States enters negotiations with Iran during a two-week ceasefire, Bishop A. Elias Zaidan is urging President Donald Trump to help facilitate humanitarian aid to the people in Lebanon.
Zaidan, a native of Lebanon and chair of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on International Justice and Peace, issued a statement on April 9 conveying his gratitude for the U.S.-Iranian ceasefire but also expressing his concerns about Lebanon, which he says the agreement does not cover.
Shortly after the ceasefire, Israel launched its deadliest attack on Lebanon since the start of the war, killing more than 300 people, according to the Associated Press. The attack outraged Iran, with officials claiming Lebanon was part of the ceasefire. American officials asserted Lebanon's inclusion was never promised.
"I am grateful for the ceasefire between the United States, Israel, and Iran, and pray for all sides to engage in effective dialogue to end this devastating war," Zaidan said in his statement. "I am disappointed, however, to learn that the agreement does not cover Lebanon, and thus falls short of encompassing the entire region where the conflict has been raging."
On April 9, Lebanese and Israeli officials both expressed an interest in beginning peace talks.
Zaidan acknowledged the Israeli people "have the right to live in peace," as do "the innocent Lebanese civilians who are currently suffering from lack of food, medical supplies, and from paralyzing fear."
"Distressingly, over 1 million people, including 370,000 children, have been displaced by the fighting in what is becoming one of Lebanon's most acute internal displacement crises in recent history," he said.
As EWTN News previously reported, several Catholic organizations are operating in Lebanon seeking to provide shelter, food, medical services, and other forms of aid to people harmed or displaced by the conflict. This week, a Vatican humanitarian convoy in southern Lebanon was forced to turn back after it was caught in the crossfire between Hezbollah and Israel.
Father Pierre al-Rahi, a Catholic priest, was killed in Israeli strikes in late March. Some Catholic communities in southern Lebanon were ordered to evacuate, but some have refused to leave the war zone out of fear their land and homes could be permanently occupied. The majority of southern Lebanon is Shia Muslim, but it has pockets of Catholic, Sunni, and religiously mixed communities.
In total, more than 1,700 people have been killed in Lebanon and more than 5,500 have been injured.
"As the United States seeks a negotiated end to the war in Iran, I call on President Trump and the international community to ensure that the people of Lebanon receive greater access to humanitarian assistance, including food and medical supplies, especially in the south," Zaidan said in his statement.
For a long-term peace, Zaidan said "it is imperative that all parties work toward the full and immediate disarming of Hezbollah," which is an Iranian-backed Shia militant group operating throughout southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah joined the war against Israel following the U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran, prompting Israel to fire rockets and launch ground incursions in Lebanon.
The Lebanese government has sought to disarm Hezbollah previously and attempts to disarm them are part of the Lebanon-Israel peace negotiations.
Zaidan also called for "the implementation of the U.N. resolutions concerning Lebanon," adding that "hopefully, after that, the governments of Israel and Lebanon can sign an agreement for lasting peace."
The bishop quoted Pope Leo XIV's Easter message, in which the Holy Father said: "May you, in the midst of feelings of pain, anxiety, and mourning, come to know in your hearts a deeper joy: Jesus has gloriously triumphed over death. It is a joy that comes from heaven and that nothing can take away."
"May Our Lady of Lebanon, Queen of Peace, pray for her children in Lebanon and for the peace of the entire world," Zaidan concluded.
