By Maya Gebeily and Emilie Madi RMEISH, Lebanon (Reuters) -After decades of conflict, residents of the Christian town of Rmeich in Lebanon's war-battered south hope Pope Leo's upcoming trip to their country will bring peace - and the strength to stay as the region's Christian communities dwindle.

Lebanon is a country where crosses rise from mountaintops, rooftops and street corners, and Christian symbols are woven into everyday life. The upcoming visit of Pope Leo XIV highlights the depth of Christianity’s roots in this small Mediterranean nation,

An Israeli airstrike on a car in southern Lebanon on Wednesday killed one person and wounded 11 including students aboard a nearby bus, the Health Ministry and state media said. The strike in the village of Tiri came hours after an Israeli drone attack on the Palestinian refugee camp of Ein el-Hilweh in southern Lebanon killed 13 people and wounded several others.

The Israeli military carried out powerful airstrikes in two villages in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, witnesses said, pressing a campaign of near-daily attacks in the border region where Israel says it is targeting Hezbollah.

EXCLUSIVE: Cyril Aris’ romantic drama A Sad and Beautiful World, which is Lebanon’s candidate at the 2026 Oscars, has released its international trailer and Deadline can give a first exclusive look. The Beirut-set drama stars Hasan Akil and Mounia Akl as childhood sweethearts Nino and Yasmina,

ANALYSIS: Despite a Christian legacy that goes back 1,000 years, Lebanon, awaiting Pope Leo XIV’s visit, is a country is on edge.

Israel has attacked Beirut’s suburbs just two days after Lebanon’s president said he was open to negotiations.

Like much of Lebanon’s deep south, where roads are lined with destruction, shattered houses, collapsed mosques and broken water pumps, Meiss El Jabal in Nabatieh governorate bears the scars of 13 months of conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. This supposedly ended with a ceasefire in November last year.