Southern Lebanon Damage from Israeli Strikes Estimated at $1.5 Billion

The value of the damage caused to buildings, institutions and infrastructure as a result of the Israeli bombing of southern Lebanon over a period of seven months exceeded $1.5 billion, according to figures provided by a Lebanese government official on Wednesday.

For seven months, Hezbollah and Israel have exchanged cross-border bombing on a daily basis since the start of the escalation in Gaza, but recent weeks have witnessed an escalation in mutual attacks.

Statistics from the Council of South Lebanon, an official institution charged with surveying the damage in southern Lebanon, estimate “the value of the damage to buildings and institutions at more than $1.5 billion” since the start of the escalation on October 8 until the beginning of May.

The escalation caused massive damage to infrastructure facilities, estimated by the Southern Council at "about $500 million."

The damage mainly affected water, electricity, health, basic services and roads.

The bombing remained mostly in the border areas on both sides, while the Israeli army sometimes carried out raids deep into Lebanon, to which the party responded by escalating its operations or targeting more distant sites.

These estimates do not include the total damage caused to areas that are difficult to reach as the bombing continues, especially near the border.

The Southern Council obtains its information about these areas through “engineers, and mayors who provide the data available to them.”

The villages and towns adjacent to the border, such as Al-Dhahira, Kafr Kila, Aitaroun, and Aita Al-Shaab, are among the areas most affected by the bombing.

Within seven months, the escalation forced more than 93,000 people to flee, especially from border villages, according to the International Organization for Migration. They have not been able to return to their homes yet.

The Southern Council estimates “1,700 completely demolished homes,” in addition to “14,000 damaged homes.”

The bombing caused damage to residents' livelihoods and agricultural fields. The Lebanese authorities accused Israel of using incendiary phosphorus to bomb their lands, especially in the border areas.