Israeli involvement in the delivery of humanitarian aid to a besieged south Lebanon border village has raised questions over the relationship between Israel and the organisation behind the shipment, following an investigation by The New Arab. The aid was dropped into the Christian-majority village of Rmeish in Bint Jbeil district by an organisation called Samaritan's Purse, in coordination with the Israeli military , prompting scrutiny over the motives and implications of the operation.
The move appeared aimed at managing the siege imposed on Rmeish and nearby villages whose residents refused to leave, while also risking sectarian sensitivities in southern Lebanon.
Rmeish is one of a small number of Christian border villages whose residents largely chose to remain despite widespread destruction in surrounding areas and the continued Israeli military presence nearby.
With roads cut off and movement heavily restricted, residents have faced growing difficulty accessing food, medicine and other essentials.
The aid was inspected by Israeli security authorities before being sent and was intended for three Christian-majority villages in south Lebanon - Rmeish, Debel and Ain Ebel.
"We received aid from an American organisation called Samaritan’s Purse, which included food items such as sugar, rice, lentils, salt and others," Rmeish priest Najib al-Amil told The New Arab on Tuesday.
He said the organisation was based inside Israeli-held territory and had requested the Israeli army deliver the supplies.
"This was done via a helicopter that dropped the aid in a low-lying area located on hills that are difficult to access," he said.
He added that Israeli forces then contacted a resident of the town and gave him the location of the shipment, but no one initially dared to retrieve it.
"The next day, the Israelis called again and asked that it be collected before it spoiled, especially as the weather was rainy," he said.
Trucks later headed to the site, around one kilometre from the border and inside Lebanese territory.
"We took the food supplies and are working on distributing them to the residents of Rmeish, Debel and Ain Ebel," he said.
Al-Amil described residents as living "as if inside a prison", saying food was reaching them but they were unable to move outside the town.
He added that Israeli troops were not stationed inside Rmeish itself but remained positioned on its outskirts.
The New Arab' s review found that Samaritan’s Purse is an evangelical Christian organisation strongly supportive of Israel and involved in numerous projects there, particularly since 7 October 2023, although it presents itself as an international relief charity.
The organisation was also the first partner of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which critics accused of coordinating with Israel and contributing to the starvation of Gaza’s population. Other aid groups reportedly refused to cooperate with it at the time.
Since October 2023, the group has become one of the most prominent donors to Israel’s emergency and reconstruction efforts.
Its contributions have reportedly included at least 42 ambulances for Israel's Magen David Adom service, around 28 of them bulletproof, along with medical equipment, shelters, renovated community buildings and support for frontline settlements.
The New Arab found that the organisation maintains close ties with Israeli institutions, including the health ministry, regional councils and the prime minister’s office.
Its president, Franklin Graham, has frequently visited Israel, met officials and families of those killed, and called on evangelical Christians worldwide to pray for Israel.
The investigation also cited Israeli regional council head Moshe Davidovich, who publicly thanked the organisation in January for helping open a family support centre and rebuild a damaged community centre in a northern frontline town.
Samaritan’s Purse was also named in a Haaretz report in August 2025 as the first group to cooperate with the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Haaretz said the organisation was led by prominent pro-Israel evangelical figures and chaired by Graham, a prominent supporter of US President Donald Trump.
The report said other international charities had declined to work with GHF over concerns regarding distribution centres, opaque ties to the Israeli government and the possible displacement of Gaza residents.
Separately on Wednesday, the Order of Malta Lebanon said it was sending aid to the besieged border villages.
The organisation said, in cooperation with the Pierre Fabre Foundation, it had launched a support convoy for around 1,700 families in isolated frontier villages.
A convoy of five trucks left Beirut at dawn carrying essential supplies for residents of Rmeish, Ain Ebel and Debel.
Order of Malta also said it secured a safe corridor to evacuate a medical emergency case from Rmeish to Beirut, allowing an 18-year-old woman to undergo surgery after days in pain.