Lebanon war recovery beyond state capacity, PM says

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Friday that rebuilding areas destroyed in the latest Israel-Hezbollah war is beyond the state's capacity, and called for more funding during a visit to the damaged southern city of Nabatieh.

Salam said he recognised the scale of the crisis, including destruction, displacement and lost livelihoods, but said Lebanon could not carry the burden alone. He said the country still needed significant funding for reconstruction.

Lebanon has put the overall death toll from the recent conflicts at more than 8,900. Hundreds of thousands of people remain displaced, mainly from the south.

Last month, Salam said the estimated total cost of the two wars could exceed $27 billion.

Israel maintains troops in a self-declared security zone about 10 kilometres inside Lebanon along the border. Violence has decreased since a ceasefire following a US-Iran memorandum of understanding in June, and Lebanon and Israel later concluded a US-sponsored framework agreement.

The Israel-Lebanon deal involves Hezbollah's disarmament, a gradual Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and deployment of the Lebanese army to the region, starting in pilot zones.

Salam said Lebanon needed support to secure a full Israeli withdrawal and build a state with sole authority over decisions on war and peace. Hezbollah has rejected disarming.