A dozen Lebanese Christian and Druze refugees have taken shelter in Israel since the borders were opened for that purpose last week. Two brothers, George and Elias Hanna, arrived today saying they left their families near Sidon and had come to Israel because they feared the Moslems. They asked that the Red Cross bring the rest of their family to Israel.
Yesterday, a Lebanese whose name is being withheld because he does not know the where abouts of his family, arrived in Metullah and received medical help.
The largest group of refugees was a Druze couple and their children aged 5 to 20, who arrived at the border near Kibbutz Dan Thursday in a Mercedes waving a white flag. The father, Amie Faris El Haabi, has a brother in Maudai Shams the Druze village on the southern slopes of Mt. Hermon which has been under Israeli control since the Six-Day War. Haabi, a watchmaker, said the Druze have not taken part in the Lebanese civil strife and that many Lebanese have taken refuge in Druze villages.
Meanwhile, many Christian families in Israel have offered to adopt Hella Joslin, the 15-year-old Lebanese Christian girl, who was the first Lebanese refugee to arrive in Israel last week. She is being visited by many Haifa Christians in Safed Hospital where she is recovering from shotgun wounds in her leg.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.