Catholic priest killed in Lebanon by Israeli tank fire

In Lebanon, a Catholic priest, Pierre El Rai, was killed by Israeli tank fire. The incident took place in the town of Qalya, where the priest was trying to help parishioners whose house was shelled. According to Christian Today, El Rai was wounded in the repeated shelling and later died in hospital.

Patriarch Beshar Boutros Rai, head of the Maronite Church, expressed condolences and called the priest’s death «a martyrdom that testifies to the love and devotion to his priestly mission.» He called for renewed diplomatic efforts and condemned any attacks on civilians, religious figures, places of worship and institutions.

The incident comes amid escalating tensions between Israel, Iran, the US and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah group, which poses a threat to the Christian population in the region. Recently, an Iraqi Christian community was also attacked by a drone, although casualties were avoided due to timely evacuation.

This is not the first time Christians have suffered from shelling by Israeli forces. During the Gaza conflict, the Holy Family Catholic Church, the only one in the territory, was shelled, killing three people and injuring the priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli. Earlier in the conflict, two women who had taken refuge in the church were killed by sniper fire.