\n 2026-07-02T08:10:18+00:00<\/p>\n
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Shafaq News- Beirut<\/p>\n
Lebanon’s Economy and Trade Minister
\nAmer Bisat said on Thursday that the cost of Israel’s war on Lebanon, which has killed more than 4,000 people, could exceed $8 billion, with final damage
\nassessments still underway. <\/p>\n
Speaking to Al Arabiya, Bisat
\nestimated that the conflict has already cost the Lebanese economy about $2
\nbillion since March, equivalent to roughly 7% of gross domestic product, and
\nexpected the overall losses to match or exceed those recorded during the 2024
\nwar.<\/p>\n
The assessment covers three main
\nareas: lost economic activity, material damage, and inflationary pressures.
\nFactory closures, damage to agricultural land, job losses, and a sharp downturn
\nin tourism all contributed to the economic toll, while extensive destruction
\naffected around 70 towns and villages in southern Lebanon, as well as Beirut’s
\nsouthern suburbs and the Beqaa Valley. Field and aerial surveys remain underway
\nin coordination with the National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS), the
\nWorld Bank, and the United Nations, to finalize the damage estimates. <\/p>\n
Consumer prices have also risen by
\nabout 20% since the beginning of the year because of higher fuel,
\ntransportation, and shipping costs, while household consumption has fallen by
\nbetween 20% and 25%.<\/p>\n
To finance reconstruction, the
\ngovernment is relying on four main sources: private sector contributions,
\nremittances from the Lebanese diaspora, humanitarian response plans, and the
\nreallocation of existing international loans. Authorities have already launched
\ntwo emergency response plans worth a combined $600 million, securing about $200
\nmillion so far, while working with the World Bank to redirect another $600
\nmillion in previously approved loans toward urgent post-war priorities.<\/p>\n
Bisat acknowledged that Arab
\nfinancial support has become more cautious than in previous years because
\nseveral countries in the region have also been affected by the recent conflict,
\nbut stressed that efforts to secure additional assistance are continuing. Future
\nArab and international reconstruction aid, he added, will depend on several
\nconditions, foremost among them extending the Lebanese state’s authority across
\nthe country.<\/p>\n