Lebanese president proposes rebuilding 3 damaged areas to encourage return of displaced residents

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Beirut: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Saturday highlighted the possibility of rebuilding three areas partially damaged by attacks, saying the ...

Beirut: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Saturday highlighted the possibility of rebuilding three areas partially damaged by attacks, saying the initiative could encourage residents to return and strengthen public confidence in state institutions, the Lebanese Presidency said in a statement.

"The financial cost of rehabilitating these areas remains relatively limited, while the impact of this step could be significant in encouraging residents to return and strengthening their confidence in the state," Aoun said during a meeting with UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed.

He presented the proposed reconstruction as part of a comprehensive approach to address the issue of placing weapons exclusively under state authority.

Aoun said a lasting solution required strengthening public confidence in state institutions, ensuring security, providing public services and improving living conditions, rather than relying solely on military means.

On Thursday, Aoun met with a delegation from the country's National Council for Scientific Research, which presented detailed maps and data documenting destruction to villages, roads, and infrastructure in southern Lebanon to serve as a scientific reference for organizing the reconstruction phase.

On the future of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Aoun said Lebanon's priority remained renewing its mandate and maintaining its presence in southern Lebanon.

If the mission could not continue in its current form in 2027, he expressed Beirut's openness to establishing an alternative UN mechanism to prevent a security vacuum.

Mohammed stressed that no security vacuum should be allowed in southern Lebanon, emphasizing the need to support residents' return, reconstruction and the strengthening of state institutions.

UNIFIL was first established in 1978 to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. After the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel, UNIFIL's mandate was expanded by Resolution 1701 to monitor the cessation of…

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