Lebanon10 September, 20263 min read
Nawaf Salam Tells Lebanese Parliament Lebanon’s Two Wars Cost Over $20 Billion
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Parliamentary session opened to hold the government to account. Salam said Lebanon spent over $20 billion on two wars, potentially $27 billion.
6 outlets told this the same way.
Outlets did split on Hezbollah Announces Up To $14,000 Housing Allowances For Displaced People In Lebanon →
Salam seeks end war
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam told the House of Representatives at a parliamentary session chaired by Nabih Berri that "the costs of the two wars have cost Lebanon more than 20 billion dollars" and that the total could exceed 27 billion dollars when the 2026 war is fully calculated. Salam said the figures do not reflect the full true cost because they do not account for "brain drain, loss of investment, the impact on education" and other effects tied to the financial crisis that has persisted since 2019. He said reconstruction and recovery require, in addition to state resources, "substantial Arab and international support and external financing," and argued that there can be no sustainable reconstruction without financing, and no financing without trust.
Salam framed the political aim as ending the war, saying, "We want to end the war," while also pledging that reconstruction and recovery depend on completing financial and banking reforms. He added that the government had referred to the council a bill aiming to modify the banking reform law to align with the IMF's recommendations, and said the council’s approval of amendments brings Lebanon closer to entering the path of recovery.
Accountability debate turns tense
In live coverage of the parliamentary session, L'Orient Today reported that Nabih Berri adjourned the parliamentary session dedicated to the government’s general policy at 3 p.m., to resume tomorrow at 11 a.m. Kataeb Party leader Samy Gemayel told Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, "You face two choices: submission or action," and warned that if this government fails, Lebanon is heading toward disintegration. The same live reporting said the two plenary sessions in Parliament on Tuesday and Wednesday were convened as more than 600 square kilometers of southern Lebanon remain occupied by Israel and are being bombarded daily.
In the debate, Ali Hassan Khalil criticized the results of negotiations between Beirut and Tel Aviv, saying "Israel’s clearing and demolition operations are continuing, and villages are being wiped off the map." L'Orient Today also said the cabinet is expected to approve the 2027 draft budget shortly, while more than 50 MPs asked to take the floor.
Reconstruction, refugees, and finance
Daily Beirut reported that Nabih Berri received dignitaries to discuss political, humanitarian, and reconstruction issues, notably those related to refugees and the infrastructure of southern Lebanon. The local report said Berri met Deputy Emad al-Hout and reviewed legislative questions alongside United Nations humanitarian programs in Lebanon and the refugees dossier. It also said talks focused on reconstruction, notably "the rehabilitation of infrastructure in southern Lebanon damaged by the Israeli aggression," and on service, educational, and health infrastructure.
In the parliamentary debate coverage, Al-Naḥār said the public discussion is one of the tools for holding the government to account and allows calling into question confidence in it or in any minister. Al-Naḥār further stated that Article 138 gives every member the right to request a vote of confidence during the public discussion, and it noted that the House of Representatives renewed confidence in the government on July 16, 2025, by a majority of 69 votes to 9, with 4 abstentions.