Christians in Lebanon have formed an unlikely alliance with the Iran-backed group Hezbollah to face down attacks from Islamic State militants.
Ras Baalbek, a Catholic community of approximately 6,000 faithful residents boasting two Byzantine churches, has forged an active partnership with the Shia militia.
Residents of the northern Lebanese village credit Hezbollah with safeguarding their heritage and defending them against Isis terrorists marauding across the Syrian border.
"How can we as Christians in this area not be with Hezbollah? They protect our churches," Rifaat Nasrallah, a 60-year-old quarryman from the village, told the Telegraph.
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"They helped us fight IS. During Covid they gave us free care in their hospitals. When there was no electricity, they gave us generators. How can we not be with them now?"
The relationship between Ras Baalbek’s Christians and Hezbollah runs so deep that the group provides villagers with a Christmas tree annually.
Mr Nasrallah proudly hangs a crucifix in his home alongside a devotional image of Hassan Nasrallah (no relation), the Hezbollah secretary general killed in 2024.
He recounted how IS fighters launched multiple assaults on Ras Baalbek between 2013 and 2017, during the Syrian civil war's peak, threatening to destroy the village and execute its Catholic inhabitants.
Christians in Lebanon have united with Hezbollah against the threat of Isis
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However, it was the Tehran-backed militia that came to their aid, prompting the community to form a bond.
"The relationship between the village and Hezbollah is stronger than with the Pope.
“The Vatican did nothing for us when Isis attacked, but Hezbollah spilt their blood to protect us. The Pope only has prayers."
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'How can we as Christians in this area not be with Hezbollah? They protect our churches,' said one local
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"When Isis first attacked Lebanese territory in 2013, Hezbollah moved swiftly to defend the community whilst the Lebanese army remained absent."
“Many were wounded, and some died. I was almost killed with shrapnel in my back from a mortar," Mr Nasrallah told The Telegraph.
He added that the army at the time was too weak to help and only aided them in 2015 and 2017.
The Lebanese military eventually assumed control and defeated IS in 2017 through the Dawn of the Jurds operation.
During the Syrian Civil War, Hezbollah stepped in to protect Lebanese Christains
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While Christian locals have celebrated their alliance with Hezbollah, the Israeli military has presented a starkly different narrative.
The IDF's Givati Brigade uncovered a Hezbollah tunnel containing weapons in the southern Lebanese village of El-Khiam, located near a church.
Inside the underground structure, soldiers discovered three separate shafts along with mattresses and food supplies that had been used by Hezbollah operatives.
The tunnel's proximity to a place of worship formed a central element of the IDF's announcement, which accused the militant organisation of deliberately positioning its infrastructure within Christian areas.
Israel has suggested that Hezbollah are using Christians as cover
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The IDF accused Hezbollah of systematically exploiting Lebanon's Christian community since the organisation's founding.
"Since the establishment of the terrorist organisation Hezbollah, it has systematically worked to exploit the Christian population in Lebanon and turn their areas into battle arenas against Israel," the military stated.
According to the IDF, the group has transformed Christian villages into combat zones, describing this as an attempt to seize control of these areas whilst endangering local residents and damaging their property.
The military further alleged that Hezbollah prevents Christian civilians from escaping conflict areas.
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