Hezbollah plans to contribute to project to house thousands of Lebanese displaced, chief says

BEIRUT, Sept 27 (Reuters) – Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah said on Sunday it would contribute soon to a project aimed at housing thousands of people displaced due to the war with Israel.

• The announcement was made by Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem during a speech commemorating the second anniversary of leader Hassan Nasrallah’s killing by Israel in 2024

• “The party (Hezbollah) is committed to providing shelter, restoration, and reconstruction with the available resources and donations. The details of a new housing project for residents of villages that were completely destroyed will be announced very soon,” Qassem said

• Qassem said the Lebanese state should have taken responsibility regarding sheltering and compensating the displaced

• “It is still their duty to fulfil their responsibility regarding shelter, compensation, and all obligations related to reconstruction and restoration,” he said

• More than one million people, representing nearly a quarter of Lebanon’s population, were displaced after a new war erupted between Israel’s military and Hezbollah in early March

• Most have returned to their homes, but more than 340,000 remain displaced because their towns were destroyed or fall within areas occupied by the Israeli military

• Since March 2, Israeli strikes have killed more than 4,300 people in Lebanon, including more than 250 children, and wounded another 12,000, including 1,000 children

(Reporting by Laila Bassam; Editing by Jan Harvey)