Lebanese whose homes were destroyed in the war want to rebuild. Many face a long wait

Six weeks after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect, many Lebanese displaced by the fighting, whose homes were destroyed, are eager to rebuild, but progress on reconstruction and compensation has been slow. Large swaths of southern and eastern Lebanon, as well as Beirut's southern suburbs, have been reduced to rubble, with Israeli airstrikes turning tens of thousands of homes into debris. The World Bank estimated in a November report that the damage to Lebanese infrastructure was about $3.4 billion, and that was before the ceasefire later that month.

In the south, residents of dozens of villages along the Lebanese-Israeli border have been unable to return home because Israeli soldiers remain stationed there. Under the U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement, Israeli forces were supposed to withdraw by January 26, but there is skepticism about this. There is also uncertainty about other terms of the agreement, with the Lebanese army supposed to move in and dismantle militant positions in the south after Hezbollah withdraws. Israeli officials complain that the Lebanese army has not acted quickly enough, while the Lebanese side says that Israeli forces need to withdraw first.

The prospects for reconstruction, and who will pay for it, remain unclear. After the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war, Hezbollah, with the backing of its ally Iran, funded most of the $2.8 billion reconstruction effort. Hezbollah has said it will do so again and has begun making some payments. However, Hezbollah, as a powerful political force, suffered significant losses in the recent fighting, and Iran itself is in a deep economic crisis.

The cash-strapped and long-paralyzed Lebanese government has little capacity to help, and international donors are likely to be stretched thin by the postwar needs in Gaza and neighboring Syria. Many Lebanese say they are waiting for the compensation promised by Hezbollah. Others say they have received some money from Hezbollah, but far less than the cost of their home losses. Manal, a 53-year-old mother from the southern village of Marjayoun, and her family have been displaced for over a year, since Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, in support of its ally Hamas in Gaza, and Israel responded with shelling and airstrikes in southern Lebanon. In July, Manal’s family learned their home had been destroyed. They are now seeking compensation from Hezbollah. “We haven’t received any money yet,” said Manal, who gave only her first name for fear of reprisal. “Maybe it’s not our turn yet.”

On a recent day in southern Beirut, at an airstrike site just 100 meters (yards) from Mohammed’s home, he watched as excavators cleared the rubble, dust swirling in the air. He said his father went to Hezbollah officials and received $2,500, but that was not enough to cover the $4,000 loss to their home. “My father took the money and left, feeling there was no point in arguing,” said Mohammed, who also gave only his first name for fear of reprisal. He said his uncle, whose home suffered similar damage, was offered only $194. When the uncle complained, Mohammed said Hezbollah asked him: “We sacrificed our blood, what did you do in the war?” Yet others have said Hezbollah has given them fair compensation.

Abdullah Skeiky, whose home, also in southern Beirut, was completely destroyed, said he received $14,000 from Qard Al-Hasan, a microfinance institution linked to Hezbollah. Hussein Krayem, director of Jihad Binaa, Hezbollah’s construction arm, said the group is doing what it can. He said their teams have surveyed more than 80% of the damaged homes across Lebanon. “We have started to provide compensation to families,” he said. “We have also started to provide payments for a year’s rent and furniture compensation.” Krayem said their payments include $8,000 for furniture compensation and $6,000 for a year’s rent for Beirut residents. Those who live elsewhere get $4,000 for rent. He said blueprints for each home are being prepared, but he declined to elaborate on reconstruction plans. “We are not waiting for the government,” he added. “Of course, we urge the state to act.”

The government is largely powerless to do so. The World Bank said in a mid-November report that Lebanon had suffered as much as $8.5 billion in infrastructure and economic losses due to the war. Deputy Prime Minister Saade Chami told the AP that this estimate did not take into account the last month of the war. “The government does not have the financial resources for reconstruction,” he said bluntly. The World Bank said a total of 99,209 housing units were damaged, with 18% completely destroyed. In Beirut’s southern suburbs alone, the Lebanese National Center for Natural Disasters and Early Warning, through satellite analysis, found that 353 buildings were completely destroyed and over 6,000 homes were damaged. Lebanese officials have appealed for international funding. The government is working with the World Bank to get an updated damage assessment and hopes to establish a multi-donor trust fund. The World Bank is also exploring an “emergency project” for Lebanon, focusing on targeted aid for the areas in greatest need, but no concrete plans have emerged. “If the World Bank gets involved, it is hoped that this will encourage international donations,” Chami said.

Hezbollah official Ali Damoush said earlier this month that the group has mobilized 145 reconstruction teams, including 1,250 engineers, 300 data analysts, and hundreds of auditors, many of them apparently volunteers. Damoush said the compensation paid so far came from the “Iranian people,” but he did not specify whether the money came from the Iranian government or private donors. Jana, a 29-year-old architect, is volunteering with a Hezbollah team surveying damage in her hometown of Nabatieh in southern Lebanon. Much of the city was destroyed, including an Ottoman-era market. Her father’s warehouse was hit by an airstrike, and all the medical supplies stored there were consumed by fire. Hezbollah officials “told us not to make promises or discuss reconstruction with people because there are no clear plans or funds yet,” she told the AP. She did not give her last name because she was not authorized to talk about Hezbollah’s operations. “They advised us to offer support and show people that someone really cares about their situation,” she added.