Destruction caused by Israeli strikes during the war in Qana, southern Lebanon. (Credit: Mohammad Yassin/L'Orient Le-Jour)
It is no coincidence that Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem stated that the reconstruction of the predominantly-Shiite areas destroyed by the war should be a priority for the government. Read more Naim Qassem lays the groundwork for a political Hezbollah According to him, the rescue plan and other measures set by the international community as conditions for the promised aid to Lebanon should come afterward. Before him, several voices within the party expressed their rejection of conditioning the reconstruction efforts on the implementation of reforms, as suggested by several Arab and international donors, as well as by President Joseph Aoun. A few days before Qassem’s speech on Sunday, Aoun had linked the two issues. “There will be no foreign aid without reforms,” the president stated, before underscoring that the...
It is no coincidence that Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem stated that the reconstruction of the predominantly-Shiite areas destroyed by the war should be a priority for the government. Read more Naim Qassem lays the groundwork for a political Hezbollah According to him, the rescue plan and other measures set by the international community as conditions for the promised aid to Lebanon should come afterward. Before him, several voices within the party expressed their rejection of conditioning the reconstruction efforts on the implementation of reforms, as suggested by several Arab and international donors, as well as by President Joseph Aoun. A few days before Qassem’s speech on Sunday, Aoun had linked the two issues. “There will be no foreign aid without reforms,” the president stated, before underscoring that the...