"Residents of Beirut's southern suburb welcomed the motorcade of Pope Leo XIV on Sunday amid buildings destroyed during last year's conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. Footage shows the Pope’s motorcade moving through one of the main streets in the southern suburb as crowds line the roadside waving Lebanese and Vatican flags. Locals gather with banners and portraits, some holding images of Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, as they wait for the pontiff to pass. "We are for peace in this country, but not with the Zionists. The Pope will see the destruction they caused here, and therefore our message should be delivered," shared Fatima Qeshqesh, a citizen. Another resident added, "We, as Muslims, came to show the world that we are even here to welcome the Pope in the southern suburb, because this is Lebanon: Muslims and Christians as one. We all want to celebrate this very important day." The Pope's three-day visit to Lebanon includes high-level meetings with government officials, civil society representatives, diplomats, and religious leaders, alongside a commemorative mass at the site of the Beirut port explosion. It marks Pope Leo XIV's first overseas tour since assuming the papacy last May, following the late Pope Francis. The Pope's visit to Lebanon comes amid heightened regional tensions and escalating Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon. It also follows threats from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government of potential military action if Lebanese authorities fail to disarm the Hezbollah group. Israel has conducted multiple airstrikes inside Lebanon since a ceasefire with Hezbollah took effect on November 27, 2024."