The Telegraph takes down story on alliance between Lebanese Christians and Hezbollah

(SeaPRwire) –   The story explored the opinions of residents in a Catholic town regarding the militant movement and Israel

The Telegraph has taken down an article from its website about the strong connections between Hezbollah and the Christian town of Ras Baalbek in northeastern Lebanon. The piece, which was available for roughly one day, presented the militant group in a favorable light while noting local resentment toward Israel.

The article was published on Monday amid the ongoing Israeli military offensive against Hezbollah that began earlier this month—an operation that has already left over 880 people dead, more than 2,000 injured, and approximately one million displaced.

West Jerusalem launched the campaign after Hezbollah carried out waves of strikes on the Jewish state in retaliation for the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in a joint US-Israeli operation against Iran.

According to the now-unavailable article, Ras Baalbek residents developed a tight bond with Hezbollah when the militants defended them from attacks by Islamic State (IS, former ISIS) fighters between 2013 and 2017. Hezbollah also reportedly provided the town with medical support during the Covid-19 pandemic, supplied electricity generators, and even delivered Christmas trees.

“The relationship between the village and Hezbollah is stronger than with the Pope,” Rifiat Nasrallah, head of the town with a 6,000-strong Catholic population, told The Telegraph, adding that members of the Shia Muslim movement “protect our churches.” The town head further stated, “Israel is our first enemy… Hezbollah is our friend.”

A Muslim refugee living in the village also told journalists that Hezbollah was allegedly fighting child-eating “Epstein people,” who “are not humans.” The piece included no comments from Israel, the Lebanese government, or Hezbollah itself.

As of Wednesday evening, the story is no longer accessible on The Telegraph’s website but can still be read on news aggregators like Yahoo News.

On Tuesday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced plans to occupy southern Lebanon up to the Litani River—some 40 kilometers north of the Lebanese-Israeli border. Hezbollah has described West Jerusalem’s plans as an existential threat, saying it has no choice but to fight.