Lebanon building damage in latest Israel war estimated at US$1.38 bn: survey
A UN-backed assessment found that the Israel-Hezbollah war has caused about US$1.38 billion in direct building damage in southern Lebanon, with more than 11,000 buildings completely destroyed.
A child stands next to the rubble of a building damaged in an Israeli strike in Qennarit, southern Lebanon, Jun 20, 2026. (Photo: REUTERS/Stringer)
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BEIRUT: Direct damage to buildings in south Lebanon in the latest war between Israel and Hezbollah is estimated at around US$1.38 billion, a UN agency and a Lebanese research centre said Monday (Jun 22).
“In total, 11,095 buildings were completely destroyed, impacting 17,891 housing units, while 2,242 buildings sustained partial damage … and 9,311 buildings incurred minor damage,” the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Lebanon’s government-linked National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS) said.
It cited a “rapid building-level damage assessment” in the country’s south which compared satellite imagery from late April, nearly two months into the latest war, with those from October 2025, meaning it does not cover the latest weeks of the conflict.
“Findings indicate that direct damage to buildings in south Lebanon is estimated at US$1.38 billion,” the statement added.
Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East conflict on March 2 by launching rocket fire at Israel in support of its backer Iran.
Israel responded with heavy airstrikes and a ground invasion, and its troops are operating inside a strip of border territory around a dozen kilometres deep inside Lebanon, where they have been carrying out extensive demolition and bulldozing operations.
Neither side respected an April 17 ceasefire, and fighting only paused on Saturday evening after it threatened to derail a deal signed last week between Iran and the United States to end the broader Middle East war.
Some residents have started returning to the south over the past two days to inspect their damaged homes and businesses, though the Lebanese army has urged them to delay returning to border villages and towns.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israeli forces would remain in southern Lebanon “as long as necessary”.
Lebanese authorities say Israeli attacks since March 2 have killed more than 4,100 people and displaced more than one million others.
Source: AFP/fs
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