Israeli wars may cost Lebanon over $27B, prime minister says

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Tuesday that the economic cost of Israel’s wars on Lebanon since 2023 may exceed $27 billion, stressing that reconstruction is beyond the state’s current capacity and requires Arab and international funding, Anadolu reports. “We must also be frank with the Lebanese people: the scale of destruction is far greater than the state’s capacity,” Salam said in an address to parliament during a general debate on government policies. “Therefore, reconstruction and recovery require, alongside state resources, Arab and international support and major external funding,” he added. Salam linked obtaining funding to restoring trust and carrying out reforms. “There can be no sustainable reconstruction without funding, no funding without trust, and no trust without a capable state. […]