Pierre el-Raï
Lebanese Maronite priest (1975/1976–2026)
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Pierre el-Raï (1975 or 1976 – 9 March 2026) was a Lebanese Maronite priest killed by Israeli tank fire during the 2026 Iran war.[1]
Biography
El-Raï was originally from Debel in the south of Lebanon. He became curate of the Paroisse Saint-Georges in Al-Qlayaa in 2013, his ministry located in the Marjayoun District, just north of the Israeli border.[2] In December 2023, he appeared in the press urging Christian residents of Al-Qlayaa to continue celebrating Christmas in spite of the Hezbollah–Israel conflict.[3] In October 2024, he defended the rights of residents to remain on their own land amidst evacuation orders, citing the village's attempt to avoid any form of armed conflict.[4][5] The following month, he continued to encourage residents to stay home despite the approaching warfare.[6] In early March 2025, he received a delegation from the Kataeb Party, which met with several officials in southern Lebanese villages.[7] On 20 October 2025, he was received at Baabda Palace by President Joseph Aoun, discussing religious issues and the safety of the people of Al-Qlayaa.[8]
Death
On 9 March 2026, el-Raï rushed to a family's house in Al-Qlayaa to render aid, when he himself was fatally struck by a second shelling.[9] His death was denounced by the Lebanese Forces as a casualty of a war "imported into Lebanon and Qlayaa" and "waged by outlaws".[10]