People gather as Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam tours areas in southern Lebanon along the border with Israel in the village of Yarine. AP
Israel’s near-daily bombardment has left large swathes of southern Lebanon in ruins and largely deserted. The damage comes more than a year after a US-brokered ceasefire in November 2024 that was meant to end the war.
The assault killed nearly 4,000 people, most of them civilians. About 1.2 million were displaced internally. Damage is estimated at $8.5 billion, including more than 100,000 homes destroyed or damaged.
Israeli ceasefire violations have continued, killing over 360 people since the truce took effect. Israel also continues to occupy five Lebanese hilltops seized during the war, marking its sixth invasion of Lebanon since 1978.
Under pressure from the United States and Israel, Lebanon’s government has committed to disarming Hezbollah, which has long defended the country against Israeli aggression.
The army said last month it completed the first phase of the plan. It covered the area between the Litani River and the Israeli border, roughly 30 kilometres to the south.
Although Hezbollah appears to have withdrawn from the south, the group has rejected wider calls to disarm. It says its weapons are part of a legitimate resistance against Israeli aggression and occupation.
Hezbollah insists any discussion of its arms must be linked to Israel’s withdrawal from occupied territory, an end to attacks, and a credible national defence strategy. Officials have repeatedly said they will not give up their weapons while Israel continues to threaten Lebanon.
Lebanese officials say Israel is deliberately obstructing reconstruction in the south. They cite repeated strikes on bulldozers, excavators, and prefabricated housing units.
Salam toured the border village of Tayr Harfa and nearby Yarine, about three kilometres from Israel. He described the destruction as “a true catastrophe” and promised urgent reconstruction projects, including restoring roads, water, and communications networks.
In Dhayra, residents gathered atop rubble to greet Salam and his delegation, waving Lebanese flags.
At a meeting in Bint Jbeil with local officials, including lawmakers from Hezbollah and its ally the Amal movement, Salam pledged to rehabilitate 32 kilometres of roads, reconnect communications networks, and repair water infrastructure and power lines.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot visited on Friday. He said reforms to Lebanon’s banking sector must come before international reconstruction funding is released. He met army chief Rodolphe Haykal on Saturday.
Last year, the World Bank approved $250 million to support Lebanon’s post-war recovery, after estimating total reconstruction costs at around $11 billion. Salam said the funds would be used for ongoing rehabilitation efforts.
The second phase of the government’s plan to disarm Hezbollah is expected to cover the area between the Litani and Awali rivers, roughly 40 kilometres south of Beirut.
*This story was edited by Ahram Online.
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