Rubble and promises: Lebanon’s PM tours southern towns as reconstruction questions linger

Report by Wissam Nasrallah, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian 

An Israeli army position lies inside Lebanese territory, just dozens of meters from a Lebanese army post, overlooking the border town of Kfarkela, now nearly completely destroyed by Israel during its latest war on Lebanon. 

A resident likened the devastation to “a devastating earthquake” as Prime Minister Nawaf Salam toured villages in Marjayoun and Hasbaya.

For residents, the “earthquake” is not measured on the Richter scale, but by the scale of their suffering — displacement, the loss of livelihoods, and uncertainty over the future of reconstruction.

From Kfarkela, Salam traveled to Marjayoun's Serail, where he met with lawmakers from the area and local mayors and outlined projects expected to be launched in the Marjayoun region in the near future.

The Arkoub region was also included in the prime minister’s tour, where he received a public welcome, as was the case in Hasbaya.

The final stop was the city of Nabatieh, where Israel destroyed the main commercial market. There, Salam inaugurated the newly reopened market.

As the tour concluded, the scene remained unchanged, with land weighed down by rubble and residents waiting for more than visits and words.

Between occupied positions, devastated towns, and markets reopening on fragile hope, the question remains in Kfarkela, Marjayoun, Hasbaya, and Nabatieh: when will promises turn into actual reconstruction as the political and military landscape in Lebanon and the region becomes clearer, and when will stability return before another round of destruction overtakes memory?