A building destroyed by Israeli attacks in Shamaa, South Lebanon, on April 28, 2025. (Credit: Matthieu Karam/L'OLJ)
Hezbollah has repeatedly shifted the responsibility for reconstruction onto the state. On Monday, Secretary-General Naim Qassem went a step further, urging the state to tap into “internal resources” to launch the reconstruction project, saying the delays are a way to “marginalize” the Shiite community. Still, with the cost of reconstruction estimated at around $11 billion, it’s hard to imagine that these efforts would start without foreign assistance.Nevertheless, the international community has conditioned this aid on the implementation of reforms and, mainly, on Hezbollah’s disarmament. While President Joseph Aoun insists on the state’s monopoly of arms, achieving it remains a long and difficult process. For Qassem, reconstruction takes priority over “state-building” and the full implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution...
Hezbollah has repeatedly shifted the responsibility for reconstruction onto the state. On Monday, Secretary-General Naim Qassem went a step further, urging the state to tap into “internal resources” to launch the reconstruction project, saying the delays are a way to “marginalize” the Shiite community. Still, with the cost of reconstruction estimated at around $11 billion, it’s hard to imagine that these efforts would start without foreign assistance.Nevertheless, the international community has conditioned this aid on the implementation of reforms and, mainly, on Hezbollah’s disarmament. While President Joseph Aoun insists on the state’s monopoly of arms, achieving it remains a long and difficult process. For Qassem, reconstruction takes priority over “state-building” and the full implementation of U.N. Security...
