Israeli soldiers from the Golani Brigade committed an act of insult against a church in the village of Deirmimas, South Lebanon. This incident attracted attention because it occurred after the mayor of Deirmimas rejected the presence of the Hezbollah group in his village which serves to counter such aggression. This incident may have made the mayor understand the consequences of his decision.

According to reports, soldiers from the Golani Special Operations Unit entered an Orthodox church in Deir Mimas (not specified which one), a predominantly Christian village. The soldiers' activities were considered highly disrespectful, including dancing, cursing, and playing with religious symbols such as the Bible and the cross. This was especially surprising, considering that Deirmimas is known to have no Hezbollah presence, so the village is not directly involved in combat activities.

Following the exposure of the IDF footage showing Israeli soldiers desecrating a church in Lebanon, Israel’s Military Radio and Public Broadcast Channel reported that the IDF has launched an investigation into the incident. Soldiers involved are from Golani’s Special Operations Unit.

Wadie Abunassar, coordinator of the ✝️ Forum in the Holy Land, told Israel’s broadcast channel : “I received the video from officials in the Vatican who described the act as ‘outrageous’ & asked me to verify its authenticity. I also received it from officials in Europe” 2/2

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Geographical context

Deir Mimas, a Christian village in southern Lebanon, overlooks the Litani River that flows further down the valley where Hezbollah militants are holed up. It is two kilometers from the Israeli city of Metula and the nearby Kyriat Shimona, right on the border between Israel and Lebanon. Deir Mimas has 3,000 inhabitants, all Christians of various denominations, Catholics, Orthodox, Greek Catholics and Protestants. Along the valley there is another inhabited center, Kfarkela, almost completely razed to the ground by the bombings. Once home to 3,000 people, only 180 remain on Augustus 2024, due to the escalating conflict. Agriculture, vital to the local economy, is suffering, with fields and olive groves burned, allegedly by Israeli phosphorus bombs targeting Hezbollah hideouts. Many villagers face the stark choice of enduring war at home or financial hardship elsewhere. The region's plight mirrors Gaza, with widespread displacement, economic collapse, and cries for peace as residents bear the brunt of a war they do not want.

Deir Mimas is 70 km far from Nazareth and 170 km far from Jerusalem. The village has seven different churches serving the population: 1. Saint Mamas Monastery for the Greek Orthodox. It was attacked on December 23, 2023, one day before the Christmas Eve by Israeli forces. This is a revered site dating back to 1404 A.D. This historic site underwent several restorations, with the most recent reconstruction starting in 2008, funded by Qatar, following its total demolition during the 2006 Israeli war on Lebanon. 2. Saint Michel Church for the Greek Orhodox 3. Saint Mamas Church for the Melkite Catholics 4. Santa Maria Monastery for the Latin Catholics 5. Santa Maria Church for the Latin Catholics 6. Protestant Church 7. Deirmimas Baptist Church

Chronology of events

regarding the destruction of places of worship by the Israeli army in southern Lebanon, as reported by Lebanese sources:

Chronology of Attacks on Places of Worship

September 23, 2024: Israeli air strikes damaged the façade of Mar Maroun Church in Basalia, Jezzine District, South Governorate.

October 4: The Israeli army bombed a mosque near Salah Ghandour Hospital in Bint Jbeil, Nabatieh district, claiming Hezbollah used it as an operations center.

October 6: A mosque in Yaroun, Bint Jbeil District, was booby-trapped and completely destroyed by the Israeli army.

October 7: Israeli warplanes destroyed a mosque in Kfar Donin, Bint Jbeil District, Nabatieh Governorate.

October 9: Israeli fighter jets targeted a church hall in Deirdghaya, Tyre District.

October 11: A raid targeted a mosque in Tyre, Tyre District.

October 13: Israeli warplanes destroyed the old mosque in Kfar Tibnit, Nabatieh District, Nabatieh Governorate.

October 14: A raid destroyed a mosque in Qantara, Tyre District.

October 18: Israeli fighter jets destroyed Al-Thaqalayn Mosque in Majdal Salm, Tyre District, and partially damaged another mosque nearby.

October 26: The Israeli army booby-trapped and destroyed Al-Rasoul Al-Akram Mosque in Al-Dhahirah, Tyre District, with video footage showing soldiers laughing and singing.

October 28: Israeli fighter jets raided a mosque in Bayout al-Siyad, Tyre District.

October 30 (Monday): Buildings in Yarin, Marouhin, Dahra, and Umm al-Tut were rigged with explosives and destroyed by the Israeli army; this included the demolition of a mosque in Umm al-Tut, captured on video.

Key Facts

Destruction Methods: The Israeli army has used both aerial bombardments and booby-trapping methods to target buildings, including mosques and a church hall.

Alleged Intentions: Lebanese activists and media have captured videos of soldiers laughing and mocking while carrying out these operations, which have spread widely on Lebanese media. Some IDF footages are released in the social networks with gleeful songs and exclamations.

International Protections: The Geneva Conventions (Article 52, Protocol I, 1977) and U.N. Security Council Resolution 2347 (2017) explicitly prohibit the targeting of places of worship. These attacks are therefore classified under international law as war crimes unless military justification is provided.

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