Peace talks negotiated by the United States produced a framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon’s government at the end of June. However, implementation of the deal remains problematic as Hezbollah refuses to comply, and Israeli strikes continue.

Walk through the South today and you won’t find peace. You will find neighborhoods reduced to dust and over a million displaced souls living in cars, tents, and overcrowded shelters. The world’s attention turned away, leaving families to navigate a shattered reality.
(Graphic, caption courtesy Heart for Lebanon)

Though many Lebanese criticize the framework agreement, Heart for Lebanon’s Camille Melki says the Lebanese government didn’t have much choice.

“If we miss the push towards peace and negotiations in the region, we will be left with a terribly destroyed southern part of Lebanon with no hope of rebuilding, nor hope of seeing the internally displaced having the chance to return home,” Melki explains.

While Lebanese citizens disagree on how peace should be achieved, Melki says most agree it’s necessary for the nation.

“Lebanon, as a majority population, is eager and thirsty for living in peace with its neighbors, and in peace with one another.”

The stalled peace process carries a human cost, especially for Shia Muslims in southern Lebanon.

War costs and opportunity

Some of Hezbollah’s biggest supporters are also the most affected by the ongoing violence. “The whole nation has been dragged into a war, but the Shia Muslims are the ones who are suffering the most,” Melki says.

“Lebanon is divided into three major religious groups: one third of our population is Shia Muslim, another third is Sunni Muslim, and the [final] third are Christians. Hezbollah comes from a Shia Muslim background, so one-third of our population today feels it’s been held hostage by Hezbollah.”

(Graphic courtesy Heart for Lebanon)

Pray for believers as they extend help and hope to those in need, regardless of their background.

“Pray that we can show the love of Jesus Christ, unconditional love, to people who have not heard of the Christian faith before,” Melki requests.

Help through Heart for Lebanon here. Your assistance enables Gospel workers to meet the immediate needs of people who are struggling or displaced due to the ongoing war in Lebanon and to share the life-changing hope of the Gospel with them.

“Heart for Lebanon has doubled its ministry opportunities in southern Lebanon. Today, we care for more than 7,000 families every month. It has stretched us to the limit, but we also understand that it is important to help a family survive this hardship,” Melki says.

“This is our opportunity to bring Jesus to every home, to every community, and to every villager. Now, what they do with that – that’s between them and God.”

Header image is a representative photo that depicts mourning Shia Muslims. Photo courtesy of Payam Moein, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons. 

Hezbollah flag
(Photo courtesy mhrezaa/Unsplash)

The agreement said Israel and Lebanon had agreed to launch a pilot program in two areas near the “yellow line,” which marks Israeli-held territory. Under the plan, Hezbollah would be dismantled, and the Lebanese army would gain control of those areas.

Hezbollah, which did not take part in the negotiations, rejected the agreement. Hezbollah MP Hassan Falallah told Al Mayadeen that Beirut would be unable to enforce the deal unless it was willing to risk a civil war.

Next steps

Key military leaders met yesterday to discuss how to implement the pact. The proposed “framework” for future talks between Israel and Lebanon drew mixed reactions from Lebanese citizens.

Heart for Lebanon’s Camille Melki says Friday’s trilateral agreement between Israel, Lebanon, and the U.S. is important because “Lebanon, as a nation, never has declared a war against Israel, nor has Israel declared a war against Lebanon.”

Instead, Melki says, “It has always been Hezbollah, now, and other paramilitary groups in the past decades, that have used the Lebanese territory as a launching pad for attacks against Israel.”

Civilians pay

Meanwhile, Lebanon is paying a heavy price for Hezbollah’s wars. The current conflict follows fighting that Hezbollah began in 2023 in defense of Hamas.

“For two years, Hezbollah and Israel have been tit-for-tat shelling each other in southern Lebanon. 11,000 homes have been destroyed, more than 4000 individuals have been killed, and more than 13,000 individuals have been injured,” Melki says.

“All those are innocent civilians; we’re not counting militants. Add to it the 1.2 million internally displaced folks, predominantly people from southern Lebanon, fleeing that region to Beirut and the Bekaa Valley.”

Help and hope

Heart for Lebanon helps people caught in the middle, Christian and Muslim alike. Find ways to support that work here.

(Photo courtesy Heart for Lebanon)

“There are more than 33 small villages along the borders between Lebanon and Israel where Christian villagers live and are completely disconnected from the rest of the world,” Melki says.

“We’re one of the very few faith-based Christian ministries that are able to reach these villages.”

Working alongside nongovernmental organizations, Heart for Lebanon helps organize an aid convoy to Christian villages in the war zone. First, the team gathers requests: “We receive a list of the material needed by those villagers through the municipality or elders in the village,” Melki says.

Next, the convoy is assembled: “Every NGO will bring in what they have as supplies, put them in a convoy led by the Red Cross, and then negotiate the safe passage of those trucks to the villages.”

Header image depicts Hezbollah flag. Photo courtesy Paul Keller via Flickr/CC-BY-NC 2.0.

Heart for Lebanon’s Camille Melki says, “Our prayer is that those negotiations will go forth productively and will come up with some very affirmative steps to keep the ceasefire holding and lead into a long-term peace agreement.”

So far, talks have done little to stop fighting on the ground. Melki says, “Prior to this last ceasefire, there have been more than a dozen ceasefires that did not last for more than an hour or two hours.”

The longest pause after three months of war began Saturday night. The ceasefire came as a result of a U.S.-Iran agreement to stop fighting on all fronts – including Lebanon.

Because today’s peace talks involve Israel and the Lebanese government, the Iranian proxy Hezbollah remains a wildcard.

“Neither the Lebanese government nor the US nor Israel wants a seat for Hezbollah at the (negotiating) table,” Melki says.

“Our presidents made it very clear: ‘We welcome every party that wants to help, but no one negotiates on behalf of Lebanon except its government.’”

(Photo courtesy Heart for Lebanon)

Meanwhile, suffering continues. Fighting has killed over 4,000 people since March, and more than 1 million have been displaced.

Heart for Lebanon is meeting needs in Christ’s name, and your support keeps the work going. Learn about giving options here.

“This is our golden opportunity, not only to care and support families in great need, but also to bring the Gospel in meaningful and tangible ways [to] people who have been deceived [and] indoctrinated,” Melki says.

“Our goal is to make sure that every family we touch, every individual we serve, we tell them of the Jesus that we believe in.”

Header and story images courtesy of Heart for Lebanon. 

Economy Minister Amer Bisat says Lebanon has lost an estimated $2 billion since the beginning of March, approximately 7 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP). The Lebanese terror group Hezbollah renewed strikes on Israel on March 2, effectively ending a 2024 ceasefire.

According to analysts, the latest clashes between Hezbollah and Israel are costing Lebanon’s economy up to $100 million a day.

“In October 2023, Hezbollah dragged Lebanon into 14 months of war with Israel,” Heart for Lebanon’s Camille Melki says.

“You add that war, plus what’s going on right now – we’ve been in almost two and a half years of major destruction of the southern part of Lebanon.”

Economic struggles

The latest economic drain couldn’t come at a worse time.

Following the financial collapse in 2019, Lebanon lost approximately 64 percent of its nominal GDP in one of the world’s most severe economic crises since the 19th century. Then, the Lebanese pound collapsed, losing 98 percent of its value practically overnight.

Unfinished reforms, overlapping crises, and widespread destruction in southern Lebanon make sustained recovery nearly impossible.

“You have anywhere between $20 and $22 billion of destruction; so many villages that have been completely wiped out, completely destroyed,” Melki says.

“Recently, the interior ministry in Lebanon declared that over 42 percent of the Lebanese population is living at the poverty line, or even below that.”

Believers’ response

These monumental challenges create more work for Heart for Lebanon.

May strength, comfort, and restoration reach every family navigating the difficulties of this time.
(Photo, caption courtesy Heart for Lebanon)

“We had to add 2,600 new families to our beneficiary list. This is over and above the 5,200 families that we were helping early in 2026, and this is only a drop in the bucket of the needs around us,” Melki says.

Yet more work means more opportunities to share the Gospel, especially as summer begins. Pray for wisdom for ministry leaders. Support a family in need here.

“We are in serious conversations as a management team about some of our programs, how should we shift some, align others? Maybe even create new programs,” Melki says.

“To be more effective and capable, and to reach new territories in Lebanon where IDPs live, we have forged a partnership with 50 local churches. Through those small local churches, we can provide support and the resources they need to love and care for people in their own circles of influence.”

Header and story images courtesy of Heart for Lebanon. 

Tit-for-tat strikes between Hezbollah and Israel have spared Beirut until now. Combat in southern Lebanon lingers despite an April 17 truce agreement.

“Two nations have signed a ceasefire, but here we go again. The conflict continues,” Heart for Lebanon’s Camille Melki says.

“Though we have a ceasefire, we really don’t have a cessation of fire. Every day, there has been death, there has been destruction.”

U.S. pushes for peace

Diplomacy runs parallel to ongoing violence. The United States confirmed yesterday that it will host new talks between Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors next week.

“Lebanon and Israel, for the first time in decades of conflict, have agreed to sit face to face in negotiations, rather than have a third party mediate the negotiations back and forth,” Melki says.

In past years, “it was always some third party that dragged us into a conflict. Before, it was the [Palestine Liberation Organization]. Now, it’s Hezbollah. Previously, it was the Syrian regime that occupied our territory,” Melki says.

“Right now, the United States and the Lebanese people are seeing hope that, for the first time, the Lebanese government can speak for the citizens of Lebanon, and the Lebanese citizens can decide for themselves.”

Earlier this week, Lebanon’s parliament speaker said there could be no negotiations with Israel until fighting stops. Yet the U.S. continues to push for peace.

Washington’s “best interest is to separate Lebanon from the control of the Iranian regime,” Melki says.

(Photo courtesy Heart for Lebanon)

Gospel hope and humanitarian help

Continued fighting in southern Lebanon means higher displacement and more people in need. Heart for Lebanon recently added 2,600 new families to its aid roster. Your gifts help the ministry meet increasing costs.

Pray for believers distributing physical help and Gospel hope. “Prayer for wisdom, perseverance, for the ability to focus on what’s more important,” Melki says.

“What’s more important is that the Gospel is spread, the love of Jesus Christ is shared, and the message of encouragement is given alongside all the humanitarian aid that we provide.”

Header and story images courtesy of Heart for Lebanon. 

“Electricity, water, sewage, roads, everything is affected right now, with extra harm caused by this recent war and having 20 percent of our population forced to find a place of refuge overnight,” Melki says.

Life is “becoming very, very difficult.”

Refugee returns

Lebanon has the highest number of refugees per capita in the world, with roughly one-quarter to one-third of its population being made up of refugees. Most are Syrian; others include Palestinians, Iraqis, and Sudanese.

(Photo courtesy Heart for Lebanon)

“Lebanon cannot afford to host such a large refugee population and care for its own people in great need,” Melki says.

“As Christians, we cannot prefer a people group over others, and that’s not what I’m saying. What I’m saying is right now, Lebanon as a nation and the Lebanese as a community have so much pressure that they’re finding it very difficult to care for refugees.”

Over 200,000 people have crossed from Lebanon into Syria since the war began. While 95 percent are Syrian refugees, the rest are Lebanese people looking for stability.

“Whether from Syria, Palestine, or Iraq, a large return of individuals to their countries will definitely lift some economic [and] socio-political strains on our society,” Melki says.

Following Christ’s example, Heart for Lebanon cares for those who remain, whether refugee or national. Believers’ unbiased attention often leads to Gospel opportunities.

“Desperate people take desperate measures,” Melki says.

“There is a vacuum in their life. It can either be filled by people who give them food to control and indoctrinate them, or it’s our opportunity to come alongside and lead them out of despair into hope in Christ alone.”

Relational care

Heart for Lebanon’s threefold approach is holistic, meeting the felt needs of every man, woman, and child. Here’s how you can help.

“First, we provide the basic essentials for survival: food and hygiene, blankets, mattresses, warm clothing, some medicine when available. It’s rainy season in Lebanon, and people on the run live with the clothes on their backs,” Melki says.

The ministry’s Hope On Wheels team helps kids forget the war raging around them.

Through our partnership with Samaritan’s Purse, we are delivering special gifts to children in the war-torn South. These “Gifts of Joy” are tangible expressions of God’s love and a reminder to these children that they are not forgotten.
(Photo, caption courtesy Heart for Lebanon)

“We go to schools that are being used as shelters for internally displaced people. We go to church parking lots, to villages, and do fun activities for children, giving them the opportunity to play in a safe environment, to laugh again,” Melki says.

Finally, a third team addresses families’ emotional and spiritual needs.

“Our relational engagement team spends long hours every day visiting, encouraging, listening to the stories of the people who are afraid, and even questioning the existence of God.”

Every touchpoint is another step toward the ministry’s goal: “To win the trust of the people we serve and to answer the Jesus question: where is Jesus? Who is Jesus? Who is the God of Christianity?” Melki says.

“I cannot tell you the joy we receive as we see people in tears, coming to faith, and the Bible studies, discipleship classes, and church attendance have increased significantly.”

Header and story images courtesy of Heart for Lebanon.

“Depending on their ethnicity and religious affiliation, they are either returning to Syria or looking for some other country to settle in [during] these difficult times. We have seen, of the individuals that we serve, around 200 families who have chosen to return,” Heart for Lebanon’s Camille Melki says.

“Syria is not the most stable country to return to, but compared to what’s going on in Lebanon right now, they feel safer heading back home.”

(Photo courtesy Heart for Lebanon)

Most of the returnees are Sunni Arabs, Melki adds. Syrian minority groups like Christians, Kurds, and Alawites aren’t taking any chances.

“There [is] still persecution [against] the Christian villages in Syria, and the Christian families are not feeling safe, so they have taken their chances the other way – believing that they can find safer places in Lebanon despite the war we are experiencing,” Melki says.

“The Kurdish population and the Alawite population that have come to Lebanon from Syria are petitioning the United Nations for further protection. [They know] that they cannot return to Syria, at least in the foreseeable future, because of the current regime’s stand against the Alawites and against the Kurds.”

How to help

Heart for Lebanon cares for thousands of refugees and displaced Lebanese people, providing help and hope in Jesus’ name. You can support those efforts here.

When war began in early March, “Heart for Lebanon added another 2,600 families overnight, over and above the many thousands of families that we care for,” Melki says.

Ask the Lord to strengthen believers as they care for refugees and displaced Lebanese in Jesus’ name. Pray that refugees would be drawn to Christ through the tangible demonstrations of His love.

“Heart for Lebanon has a comprehensive approach to crisis; we address it on the physical, the emotional, but also on the spiritual level,” Melki says.

Header and story images courtesy of Heart for Lebanon. 

“Is this the sentiment of the Lebanese people? Absolutely not. I don’t speak for the Lebanese people, but I do understand the sentiment of the Church, the ministries, and what God is doing,” Heart for Lebanon’s May-Lee Melki says.

“This is definitely not something that we pray for, ask for, or have any ties to.”

(Photo courtesy of Heart for Lebanon)

The Lebanese government echoed this position as it condemned Hezbollah’s actions.

“The Lebanese government is trying its best to distance itself (from Hezbollah) for the first time, which is a historical decision,” Melki says. Hezbollah has been entrenched in Lebanese politics since the early 2000s.

Thousands on the move

Meanwhile, Israeli troops advanced into southern Lebanon on Tuesday after the Lebanese army cleared the way. Fighting has uprooted at least 30,000 people since Monday, when Hezbollah attacked Israel in response to strikes on Iran.

As people flee by the tens of thousands and needs skyrocket, Heart for Lebanon is responding in three locations: southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, and Beirut.

Watch this emergency update from Daoud Arnaout, managing director of Heart for Lebanon.

“We are blessed to be a ministry that is strategically positioned to immediately respond to families that are fleeing those areas,” Melki says.

“This is directly impacting us. Our center in Ghazieh is very close to a lot of what is happening, but our team has been able to shift and find safe areas to operate and respond.”

How to help

You can help Heart for Lebanon meet immediate needs and share the hope of Christ with 1,500 new families here.

Pray Heart for Lebanon can continue getting supplies for its food ministry.
(Photo courtesy of Heart for Lebanon)

“This is just the tip of the iceberg; just the initial response because of what transpired in the last 48 hours,” Melki says.

“These are vulnerable Lebanese families that woke up one day and had nothing prepared for a crisis like this. This also encompasses some refugee families who are now twice and thrice displaced, whether Kurdish or Syrian.”

Most importantly, pray. Ask the Lord to protect Heart for Lebanon teams as they travel in dangerous areas to bring aid to those in need. Pray for continued access to “our center in southern Lebanon, because that is the hub of our response,” Melki requests.

“Please pray for the hearts of these (1,500) families and our ability to show the Gospel in action. This is not something that we are wired as humans to respond to, but it is yet another opportunity for the Kingdom to expand and for the hope of Christ to be front and center.”

In the header image, a recent art activity at Heart for Lebanon’s children-at-risk club exposed the deep trauma experienced by Lebanon’s children. (Photo courtesy Heart for Lebanon)

Meanwhile, protests broke out in Beirut earlier this week over a new gas tax designed to benefit government employees. Elio Constantine of Heart for Lebanon says the two events are connected.

Lebanon’s government is “again raising the wages of the public sector employees without having any backing,” Constantine says.

“The result of policies like this is more people living in despair, whether it’s nationwide because of the economy or South-specific because of the war and the efforts to disarm Hezbollah.”

Hope amid pressure

Lebanon has been in a prolonged economic meltdown since 2019, marked by hyperinflation, a collapsed banking sector, and soaring poverty levels. Despite some recent reforms, institutional challenges continue to hinder recovery.

Because there is no revenue to support raises for public workers, the government increased taxes on citizens, who Constantine says are already short on cash.

Sunday of Unity protests in Beirut, Lebanon, on November 3, 2019.
(Freimut Bahlo, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)

“We’ve seen this happen back in 2017 when the government decided to raise the wages of the public sector without having any sources of income to support that raise, and that led to the 2019 crash of the economy,” Constantine says.

Division is common during desperate times. Through Christ-centered programs, Heart for Lebanon helps people move from despair to hope. More about that here.

“We’ve been taught in Lebanon that the other person [who] doesn’t look like you and act like you and live like you is your enemy, but Scripture tells us otherwise,” Constantine says.

“The only enemy we have is Satan.”

How to help

Keep Lebanon in your prayers. Pray that nonbelieving Lebanese people will encounter the redemptive love of Jesus Christ.

“Pray for the team at Heart for Lebanon for wisdom, discernment, and protection as they navigate in turmoil,” Constantine requests.

“Pray for their focus, because they’re not immune to what’s happening around them. Pray that they stay focused on Christ and Christ alone.”

Header and story images courtesy of Heart for Lebanon. 

Thousands live in tent communities or makeshift shelters. These structures offer little protection against excess rain, cold, or flooding. When temperatures drop, people face serious risks of hypothermia.

Certain populations are more at risk than others. “It’s the children, it’s the elderly, it’s the sick people who pay the highest price in any conflict. How much more with bad weather?” Melki says.

Kindness speaks volumes

Heart for Lebanon offers help and hope through its winter outreach. More about that here. Believers share the Gospel as they deliver blankets, mattresses, and warm clothing.

Many Syrian refugees are taken aback by the kindness. “It baffles them,” Melki says.

“It makes them wonder, ‘Why would you care for our needs? Our Muslim brothers and sisters didn’t even attend to our needs.’”

Displaced Lebanese are used to groups giving them help in exchange for a vote. “There are a lot of organizations that reach out to the Lebanese with a political motivation,” Melki explains.

Along with food kits and winterization supplies, Heart for Lebanon introduces people to the love and hope of Christ.
(Photo courtesy of Heart for Lebanon)

Heart for Lebanon’s support is different. Melki says, “Our motivation is only the love of Jesus Christ, so we come out openly, boldly sharing the Gospel without any conditions attached to the gifts that we give.”

How to help

Consider donating to help Heart for Lebanon reach disadvantaged communities with the hope of Christ this winter. Pray for protection, wisdom, and boldness as believers interact with needy families.

“Pray that these conflicts in the Middle East end and that peace prevails. We’re not talking about any peace as much as eternal peace, a peace that comes from above,” Melki says.

“Unless the Church stands firm in times of crisis, we will miss the great opportunity to transform the Middle East for Christ.”

Header and story images courtesy of Heart for Lebanon.