Lebanese officials are considering dumping war rubble from Israel’s attacks on Beirut’s southern suburbs, known as Dahiyeh, to reclaim coastal land for real estate development.
Talks are taking place on reconstruction efforts following a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel which came into effect last week and followed months of intense Israeli bombing across Lebanon, including Beirut, which saw apartment blocks and homes flattened with thousands killed and wounded.
In a meeting held at the Serail Palace on Monday to address the war damages, Lebanese government officials including Prime Minister Najib Mikati, suggested disposing of the rubble along the coast for “land reclamation”, according to the leading Al-Akhbar newspaper.
The proposal would see the debris from high-rise buildings destroyed by Israeli air attacks, some of which reportedly included incendiary weapons, used to fill areas of the sea for possible new real estate projects.
The rubble could be disposed of along the coast of the Costa Brava area south of Beirut or between San Simon and the Ouzai port, according to the report.
This process will contracted out in the next cabinet session, although the exact location for its disposal was not finalised, the daily added.
During the war, several reports emerged of residents reporting sulfur-like smell after attacks on the heavily-populated Dahiyeh suburbs, with Lebanon’s state news agency NNA accusing Israel of using internationally banned phosphorous bombs. This could carry serious environmental risks for residents.
Ali Kamoun, the head of the Financial and Economic Council for Strategic Studies in Lebanon, slammed the plan in comments with Al Jadeed TV channel.
“The rubble can be recycled and used to rebuild the damaged buildings, instead of dumping it at sea,! he said, describing the government’s attempt as “futile” and “short-sighted”.
“It is time for the government to adopt a more organised approach and implement a step-by-step plan for long-term reconstruction,” he said, criticising the reliance on temporary solutions.
Following the 2006 Lebanon War, debris from the heavily bombarded southern suburbs of Beirut was temporarily stored along the coast south of Beirut, near the Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport.
The area later became known as the Costa Brava site and, while intended as a temporary solution, soon evolved into a permanent landfill, raising environmental concerns, particularly regarding marine pollution and the impact on local ecosystems.
The meeting on Monday also addressed compensation mechanisms for people whose properties were damaged or destroyed, according to several Lebanese media reports.
The number of buildings destroyed by the Israeli attacks was around 400 – a lower estimate than the 600 figure previously released by the National Council for Scientific Research, which was based on aerial footage, reports said.
The meeting also included Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah and Amal Movement MP Ali Hassan Khalil as well as representatives from the South Council, the Higher Relief Commission, the National Council for Scientific Research, and the Council for Development and Reconstruction.
They estimate the scale of the destruction is between one and a half to two times greater than Israel’s 2006 assault on Lebanon.
They found that around a third of buildings that were severely damaged by Israeli assaults require demolition while a large number of bridges as well as water, electricity and communication hubs were also obliterated.
Task forces were assigned to survey damage in affected areas across the country, with discussions on reconstruction priorities and financial support mechanisms.
The meeting also found that reconstruction costs in southern Beirut’s Dahiyeh suburbs alone could reach $4 billion.
