An olive harvest under bombardment in Southern Lebanon

RMEICH, Lebanon – ​“Sorry for the late meeting, but you know, it’s the olive harvest season, and I need to go there before the end of the day. Otherwise…” Father Nagib’s speech is interrupted by the sound of a bombing. On the top of a nearby mountain, smoke rises. The surrounding of Rmeich, a Christian village in southern Lebanon, has been under constant bombardment since October 7th, the day Hamas attacked Israel. Hamas is the political and military organization governing Gaza and is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union and seven other countries. So far, nearly 18,000 Palestinians and at least 1,200 Israelis have died in the conflict, according to the Associated Press. In Lebanon, about 20 civilians and nearly 100 militants have died. Father Nagib’s hands are colored green and black as he spent the afternoon picking the fruits of his trees. His grove is right on the border with Israel. Like him, many villagers in this part of Lebanon ...