Lebanon’s post-war reconstruction needs $11 Billion: World Bank

Following the Israeli regime’s invasion of Lebanon last year and Hezbollah’s resistance against the aggression, the World Bank on Friday estimated Lebanon’s recovery costs at $11 billion.

The total economic cost of the conflict stands at $14 billion, including $6.8 billion in damage to physical structures and $7.2 billion in economic losses from reduced productivity, forgone revenues, and operating costs, according to a World Bank report on Friday assessing damage and losses from October 8 to December 20, 2024.

The Lebanese housing sector has suffered the most, with losses estimated at $4.6 billion, while the tourism industry has lost $3.6 billion.

"The impacts of the conflict have resulted in Lebanon's real GDP contracting by 7.1 percent in 2024, a significant setback compared to a no-conflict growth estimate of 0.9 percent," the World Bank said.

"By the end of 2024, Lebanon's cumulative GDP decline since 2019 approached 40 percent, compounding the effects of the multi-pronged economic downturn and impacting Lebanon's prospects for economic growth."

IMF, World Bank tie aid to Lebanon to normalization with Israel, Hezbollah disarmament

The IMF and the World Bank are reportedly seeking to tie reconstruction funds for Lebanon to the normalization of relations with Israel.

The Israeli military began operations against Hezbollah's positions in south Lebanon soon after launching a genocidal war against the besieged Gaza Strip in October 2023.

The Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon escalated in October and November 2024 as intense bombardments of civilian areas destroyed thousands of homes and a significant portion of the infrastructure in southern regions and also in Beirut.

This devastation comes on top of Lebanon’s already unprecedented economic crisis prior to the conflict.

Since the onset of the escalation in October 2023, around 4,000 Lebanese, many of them civilians, have been killed, and over one million people displaced.

After failing to achieve its goals, the Israeli regime was compelled to accept a ceasefire with Hezbollah in November. Yet, the regime continues to violate the agreement almost on a daily basis through launching attacks on Lebanese territories.

The Lebanese resistance movement, however, stood up to the aggression with all at its disposal, conducting numerous retaliatory strikes against sensitive and strategic Israeli targets.

The Israeli regime’s brutal military operations in Lebanon have resembled its atrocities across the Palestinian territories, including the Gaza Strip, where it has killed more than 48,300 Palestinians, mostly women and children, with almost all of the population internally displaced.

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