Israel reports $2.5 billion in damage from war with Hezbollah

By Abdel Raouf Arnaout and Betul Yilmaz

JERUSALEM, Palestine (AA) - Israel has reported damage worth 9 billion shekels ($2.5 billion) in the war with the Lebanese group Hezbollah.

A report submitted to the government by Ze’ev Elkin, a minister in the Finance Minister, showed that 2,900 buildings were damaged in northern Israel during the conflict since October 2023, according to Israel’s Army Radio on Wednesday.

The report found that 19% of the damaged buildings were caused by the Israeli military activity in the region.

According to the report, 67,500 Israelis were evacuated in northern Israel since the outbreak of the conflict, with only 19,000 having so far returned to their homes.

A fragile ceasefire has been in place since Nov. 27, ending months of cross-border warfare between Israel and Hezbollah that escalated into a full-scale conflict last September.

Lebanese authorities have reported more than 1,000 Israeli violations of the ceasefire, including the deaths of at least 83 victims and injuries to 280.

Under the ceasefire deal, Israel was supposed to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by Jan. 26, but the deadline was extended to Feb. 18 after Israel refused to comply, as it still maintains a military presence at five border outposts.