Overview
- Father Pierre El‑Rahi, 50, died on March 9 after a second strike hit a house he was rushing to at Qlayaa, according to church and local reports.
- Lebanese army officials said two Israeli Merkava tank shells struck the site and reported no Hezbollah presence in the area.
- An Israeli military spokesman said troops neutralized a Hezbollah cell in a Christian village without naming the location, leaving key details disputed.
- Wednesday’s funeral drew a large cross‑community crowd as Pope Leo XIV publicly mourned the priest, renewed calls for peace and met the evacuated cardinal of Tehran.
- Residents urged the army to curb rocket launches near their homes and bolster security, while Lebanese authorities reported 634 dead and about 816,000 displaced since March 2.