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)
