Is Israel stoking sectarian tensions in attacks on Lebanon's Christian villages?

Since escalating its attacks on Hezbollah targets throughout Lebanon this week, Israel has struck several villages, including Qartaba, Mayrouba, and Ehmej, which boast a Christian majority population sandwiched between their Shia neighbours. 

On Wednesday, the Shia town of Maaysra, located within Keserwan - a predominantly Christian district with a large Maronite population - was also targeted, killing and injuring dozens.

Israel claims its attacks on Lebanon are focused on "Hezbollah targets", but since Monday, it has killed over 500 people within 48 hours, including over 50 children and more than 90 women.

Its attacks, which had mostly focused on Shia areas in southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley and the southern suburbs of Beirut, have targeted Lebanon's Shia community, which Tel Aviv views as the base of support for Hezbollah.

While it appears that Israel may be sending a message to Shia communities near the villages it attacks, Lebanese media has discussed another prominent message these strikes send.

Lebanon's L'Orient-Le Jour daily reported on Thursday that by attacking Christian-majority areas, Israel was discouraging Lebanese Christians from supporting their Shia neighbours, particularly following the show of national solidarity in the wake of its earlier attacks in September, which saw some pagers and wireless devices explode across the country.

Historically, relations between Shias from Maaysra, Keserwan, and Jbeil and their Christian neighbours have remained cordial, even during the Lebanese Civil War, when sectarian violence largely bypassed these areas.

Following Israel's latest attack on Lebanon, the town of Maaysra had welcomed displaced Lebanese, particularly from the southern Lebanese town of Houla. The town's officials worked with local organisations and municipalities to help house those displaced.

Israel's attack on the town sought to stir sectarian tension among the town's residents in a bid to prevent them from welcoming displaced Lebanese, particularly in the Keserwan district and other predominantly Christian areas, Lebanese journalist Pierre Akiki said in his report for The New Arab's Arabic language site Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

Similarly, Lebanese political analyst Karim Bitar told L'Orient-Le Jour that Israel's shelling of Christian areas in Lebanon had sought to incite division among locals by provoking Christians, particularly through claims that weapons were being stockpiled in their regions.

In a video released on X on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly addressed Lebanese people, saying his country's war "is not with you, it's with Hezbollah". 

"For too long, Hezbollah has been using you as human shields. It placed rockets in your living rooms and missiles in your garages. These rockets and missiles are aimed directly at our cities, directly at our citizens," he said.

"I urge you - take this warning seriously. Do not let Hezbollah endanger your lives and the lives of your loved ones. Please get out of harm’s way now. Once our operation is finished, you can come back safely to your homes," he added.

The message appeared to be directed at non-Shia communities, implying that Israel was "concerned" for their safety.

Israel and Hezbollah have been engaged in cross-border attacks since October 2023 after Israel began its war on the Gaza Strip, where it killed over 41,500 people - mostly women and children.

Hezbollah said it had opened a front against the Israeli military in support of Palestinians in Gaza. 

Lebanon said on Thursday that more than 1,500 people had been killed in almost a year of the cross-border attacks, which spiralled into a wider-scale war this week.

According to figures in a statement released by the country's disaster management unit, 1,540 people have been killed, 60 of them in the past 24 hours, and 5,410 wounded in the ongoing attacks.