Mounting protests across frontline villages in south Lebanon are exposing deep frustration over stalled reconstruction efforts and long-delayed compensation for war damage, delays that have pushed many families to abandon their homes and rebuild their lives elsewhere.
In Taybeh, a resident recently blocked the road outside his damaged house, which had been struck by an Israeli raid. Earlier, villagers in Deir Siryan blocked a main road and burned tires to protest the lack of compensation for destroyed vehicles. In Houla, a local man appeared in a video claiming losses exceeding six million dollars and demanding equal treatment for border communities compared with other regions that previously received compensation.
These demonstrations come more than two years after border residents were first displaced by recurring Israeli strikes during its conflict with Hezbollah that turned into a full blown war in October 2024. Many residents continue to live away from their homes, with no clear timetable for reconstruction support.
The almost daily Israeli bombardments since a November 2024 ceasefire have increased the scale of destruction, intensifying the sense of abandonment.
For many villagers, the central question is not which authority - Hezbollah or the Lebanese state - should assume responsibility. Instead, they want whichever side can deliver funds that would allow them to rebuild shattered neighborhoods. Their protests increasingly target both the government and Hezbollah, which has a strong presence in the South.
Tarek Mazraani, coordinator of the Coalition of Southern Border Villages, said these “relatively modest” protests will continue as residents seek to make their voices heard.
He told Asharq Al-Awsat that demands are directed at the state and political parties alike: “People don’t care who pays. What matters is that compensation arrives.”
While the state remains largely absent from reconstruction efforts, Mazraani noted slight improvements in services such as electricity and water.
He added that protesters are also calling for urgent support for displaced families. Many have lost businesses, savings, and all sources of income, leaving them unable to cover rent, medical expenses, or basic living costs in their temporary housing.
Although residents recognize that reconstruction funding may be difficult to secure under current conditions, Mazraani said they still expect the government and influential parties to help ease their burden.
Since the coalition’s founding six months ago, he said, its advocacy has had an impact, “but we have yet to see any concrete decisions on the ground.”
Last month, the Development and Liberation Bloc of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, hosted a coordination meeting in Msayleh village to outline a reconstruction strategy with government and civil society representatives.
Yet southerners still await parliamentary approval of a $250 million World Bank loan to rebuild damaged infrastructure. The relevant legislation stalled because several political blocs are boycotting parliamentary sessions over electoral law disputes.
Political analyst Ali Al-Amin said the growing protests are an unsurprising reaction from communities that feel “virtually abandoned.”
He argued that residents blame Hezbollah for policies they believe have closed off political options for a national solution, noting that reconstruction cannot proceed without addressing the issue of weapons outside state control.
Israel’s continued strikes, alongside talk of imposing a buffer zone in the South under direct or indirect Israeli oversight, further obstruct recovery.
Under such conditions, “reconstruction is simply not possible now,” added Al-Amin.
