The rubble of a collapsed building is visible after an Israeli bombing in Nabatiyeh, in southern Lebanon, on June 21, 2026. Photo Mahmoud Zayat/AFP
BEIRUT — Israel has completely destroyed more than 11,000 buildings in southern Lebanon since the start of the re-escalation of its war on Lebanon on March 2, according to a new report published by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), in coordination with the Lebanese National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS-L). The report also estimates the value of direct damage to buildings in southern Lebanon at $1.38 billion, with a volume of rubble of approximately 3.1 million cubic meters, as of April 29, 2026.
This rapid assessment covers areas south of the Litani River, notably the districts of Bint Jbeil, Marjayoun, Nabatieh, Sour, and Saida, and follows on from a previous report on Beirut and Mount Lebanon, the UNDP states in its report.
A total of 11,095 buildings were completely destroyed, affecting 17,891 dwellings; 2,242 buildings sustained partial damage, affecting 5,219 dwellings; and 9,311 buildings sustained minor damage, affecting 18,282 dwellings.
The cadastral sectors hardest hit in terms of total building destruction are Aitaroun (1,658 buildings) and Bint Jbeil (1,076 buildings) (Bint Jbeil); Mais al-Jabal (969 buildings) and Taybeh-Marjayoun (Marjayoun) (824 buildings), followed by Burj al-Shemali (370 buildings) and Naqoura (216 buildings) (Sour). according to the UNDP.
The assessment was carried out using a geospatial artificial intelligence system (GeoAI), supplemented only by visual validation performed remotely, without systematic on-the-ground verification, the UNDP statement noted.
High-resolution satellite images dated April 29, 2026, were compared to reference images from Oct. 23, 2025, enabling the identification of visible conflict-related damage, such as collapsed roofs, structural deformations, and the accumulation of debris at each building.
The volume of debris and the cost of damages were calculated from the buildings' ground footprint, number of stories, and standardized reconstruction costs, in accordance with the UNDP methodology and previous assessments.
The report notes, however, that this assessment, while providing a reliable overview of the scale of the destruction, “does not include basements, underground structures, or damage to essential infrastructure such as roads, bridges, electrical networks, water supply systems, and telecommunications.”
