The Destruction That Comes With War-time

 Nadene Goldfoot                                                                       

                                                                           

  Heavy destruction in Beirut's  Dahiyeh neighborhood following Israeli bombing, May 6, 2026

Trump was concerned by the fact that Israel had killed so many civilians in Lebanon, and objected to the Israelis knocking down buildings to take out a single Hezbollah commander.  Israel has conducted several targeted airstrikes that knocked down buildings to eliminate senior Hezbollah commanders in Lebanon, most notably targeting underground bunkers beneath civilian apartment blocks in the southern suburbs of Beirut (Dahiyeh). 

Before they do, they, as in the past,  would let the people in the building know that Israeli IDF were there and what they had to do.  They would tell the people to get out, where to go for safety, and give advice as to where they could settle.  To do that they would use every means possible from bull horns to email to dropping leaflets, telephone calls.  They were not there to take lives.  However, it would be impossible to tell Hezbollah terrorists and civilians apart.  

        Beirut, Lebanon from a drone

Traditional & Low-Rise Materials: In historic or semi-urban areas of countries like Israel and Palestine, three-to-five-story walk-up apartments are common. These are often built with standard concrete frames, but feature exteriors clad in local stone (such as Jerusalem stone). In highly historic or rural environments, materials can even include mud-brick or slate. 

Who can rebuild the buildings in Lebanon after war destroys them?

 United Nations Agencies: The UN Debris Taskforce (DTF)—comprising UN-Habitat, UNDP, and others—leads safe debris removal, environmental cleanup, and urban recovery planning.

Hezbollah: In areas where they hold political dominance, such as Beirut's southern suburbs and parts of South Lebanon, Hezbollah has historically created specialized engineering and reconstruction units to rebuild damaged or destroyed housing for residents.  They are the cause of the destruction and then they will profit somehow in the re-construction of the building from the many groups that will step in.

Private Contractors & Engineering Firms: Private Lebanese construction firms and architecture agencies are hired by the government, NGOs, or private homeowners to execute the physical reconstruction.

The Diaspora: The Lebanese expatriate community frequently provides financial backing, direct investments, and remittances to help individual families rebuild their homes and restart local businesses. 

I have my young Syrian engineer friend who had his own building business, but seemed to run into difficulties with the president,  Bashar al-Assad, who served from July 17, 2000, until his regime was overthrown and he fled the country on December 8, 2024l.  My friend has since left Syria, too, after being picked up and put in their prison and beaten;  a political reason.  These countries are different from the West.  I don't think Hezbollah was in Syria but Assad was bad enough.  

How many Lebanese have died during Israel's bombing?  It depends on who you ask. Lebanon's population is approximately 5.8 to 5.9 million people. This figure places Lebanon 116th in global population rankings.

The current population of Lebanon is 5,889,236 as of Wednesday, June 3, 2026, based on Worldometer's elaboration of the latest United Nations data1.

Lebanon 2026 population is estimated at 5,897,467 people at mid-year.

Lebanon population is equivalent to 0.071% of the total world population.

Lebanon ranks number 116 in the list of countries (and dependencies) by population.

The population density in Lebanon is 576 per Km² (1,493 people per mi²).

The total land area is 10,230 Km² (3,950 sq. miles).

84.41% of the population is urban (4,978,043 people in 2026)

The median age in Lebanon is 29 years.

1. U.N. Dept. of Economic and Social Affairs - Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. (Medium-fertility.

Israel responded with an air campaign across Lebanon and a ground invasion in the south, which has been escalating in recent weeks. At least 3,468 people have been killed in Lebanon since the start of the war, according to the country's health ministry.

The Gaza war sparked a renewed Israel–Hezbollah conflict, beginning one day after the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel. The conflict initially consisted of tit-for-tat airstrikes and shelling. The conflict escalated in September 2024, beginning with the Israeli explosion of Lebanese pagers and walkie talkies. Israel then began an aerial bombing campaign throughout Lebanon, killing at least 569 people on 23 September; the largest conflict-related loss of life in a single day in Lebanon since the Civil War. 

 Hezbollah terrorists are in these buildings.  That's why Israel is bombing them, though today they usually can pinpoint a target, but these that they are after are in the bottom area of a building.  They most likely live in the upper chambers, so could be anyplace.  

Resource:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli%E2%80%93Lebanese_conflict