Christian Town of Rmeish Spared Israeli Strikes by Rejecting Hezbollah Fighters

Church bells still ring in Rmeish, a predominantly Christian town on the Lebanon-Israel border.

While much of southern Lebanon has suffered destruction in the war between Israel and Hezbollah, Rmeish remained largely untouched. Churches stand intact. Homes show no damage. Residents say the village avoided Israeli strikes because locals refused to let Hezbollah fighters operate from inside the town.

"There was more than one attempt for them to come to the outskirts or the entrance of the village to launch rockets from there," one resident told Jusoor News. "The young men of Rmeish confronted them and prevented them from entering."

"That led to the protection of Rmeish from any Israeli attacks," the resident said. "The Israelis do not target aimlessly. They target launch sites."

The account provides a rare public look at resistance to Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, where criticism of the Iranian-backed group often draws charges of treason or collaboration with Israel.

Tarek, a Christian social activist from Rmeish, spoke by phone with Fox News Digital. He said residents have long faced pressure for refusing to align with Hezbollah.

"After 2000, when Israel left, we were always labeled as collaborators of Israel," Tarek said. "We suffered a lot from this stigma."

He said Hezbollah supporters accused the town of cooperating with Israel just because it escaped the destruction that hit neighboring villages.

The interviews come as the Trump administration brokers talks between Israel and Lebanon to stabilize the border and address Hezbollah's military presence in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem recently rejected any discussion of disarming the group. U.S. officials keep pushing to strengthen the Lebanese state over the armed group.

Tarek argued that Hezbollah's grip on Lebanon cannot be separated from Iran.

"The Lebanese government has been ruled by Hezbollah for almost 36 years," he told Fox News Digital. "They are deeply entrenched in all arms of the government, security, army and institutions."

"If the president or prime minister says they want peace, Hezbollah will resist that," he added.

Tarek said weakening Iran holds the key to weakening Hezbollah.

"It’s about cutting the head of the octopus, which is the Iranian regime," he said. "Once you cut the head, Hezbollah will no longer function."

Another resident said many in the town now believe "Hezbollah’s project is an Iranian project, not a Lebanese one."

A woman from the village described living surrounded by war while keeping the town out of the fighting.

"We are in the middle, and the war surrounds us from all sides," she said. "This makes us live in a state of fear, anxiety, insecurity and instability."

A man from the village said residents had endured decades of wars they had nothing to do with.

"We decided to remain steadfast," he said. "Where would we go?"

An older resident said his family has suffered from violence along the border since the 1970s.

"We are tired of wars," he said. "We want nothing but peace."

Despite accusations from Hezbollah supporters, residents insisted they do not regret standing up to the group.

"All accusations of treason are rejected," one resident said. "The people of Rmeish want to live safely on their land."

Another resident added: "Just because I don’t believe in your project doesn’t mean I’m a traitor."

Ahed Al Hendi, a senior fellow at the Center for Peace Communications, told Fox News Digital that "the defiance shown by Christians in southern Lebanon reflects a major shift in the country’s internal dynamics. For more than two decades, many Christians living near the border suffered under Hezbollah’s dominance, yet were stigmatized and often afraid to speak openly against it."

"Today," Al Hendi added, "with the changing balance of power, they are increasingly confronting Hezbollah publicly and speaking out against what they see as its tyranny."