Lebanon Estimates $4 Billion in Losses from Israeli Attacks

Lebanese Information Minister Paul Morcos stated that the direct material losses resulting from the Israeli war on Lebanon are estimated to be between $3 and $4 billion. Speaking after a ministerial meeting, Morcos noted that these figures are provisional and do not include indirect economic losses or damage.

This estimate comes as Israeli troops continue to violate the framework agreement mediated by the United States, which was signed with Beirut. On Monday, Israeli forces detonated houses and carried out explosions in two towns in southern Lebanon, and had conducted a detonation operation overnight in the town of Houla, located in the Marjayoun district.

Morcos explained that the ministerial meeting addressed the results of field visits by ministers to villages and towns in the south. Discussions included ways to support the return of residents to their areas and the provision of adequate shelter.

On 26 May, Lebanon and Israel signed the framework agreement under US mediation. However, the agreement does not set a timeline for a full Israeli withdrawal and links further pullouts to security responsibilities being assumed by the Lebanese army and the disarmament of non-state armed groups, including Hezbollah.

Lebanese officials have described the agreement as a “first step” towards restoring state sovereignty over all its territory and enabling the return of displaced persons to their towns. Hezbollah, however, has rejected the agreement as “null and void,” arguing that linking the Israeli withdrawal to their disarmament violates “all red lines.”

According to official figures, Israeli attacks on Lebanon since 2 March have killed more than 4,300 people and injured over 12,000 others. Israeli forces continue to occupy areas in southern Lebanon, some of which they have held for decades and others captured during the 2023-2024 war, advancing more than 10 kilometres into Lebanese territory during the latest offensive.