Israel's attack on Lebanon is taking a human and economic toll

A man looks at destroyed houses amid an ongoing search for survivors after an Israeli strike in Maaysrah, north of Beirut, on September 26. Reuters

Lebanon is under attack. Israeli air raids and espionage attacks that kill indiscriminately, along with suggestions that its land forces might again invade, coupled with Hezbollah acting unilaterally in striking Israel, mean the country is closer to full-scale war that it has been for years.

Such escalation presents an acute and dangerous challenge, but the country has been under the shadow of war for much of the past year. The deaths of more than 700 Lebanese, the destruction of homes and farmland, plus the trauma caused by the attacks will leave long-lasting damage. The effect this has had on its broken economy has already jeopardised the futures of many Lebanese.

Speaking to The National on Tuesday, Amin Salam, Lebanon’s Minister of Economy and Trade, said the country faces a humanitarian crisis that costs it at least $135 million a month. With no head of state, a collapsed currency and 44 per cent of its population already living in poverty, according to World Bank data, this crisis is the latest nail to be driven into the coffin of the Lebanese economy.

The damage wrought upon Lebanese lives and livelihoods highlights the need for an immediate way out of this round of violent conflict. In July, The National reported from Jezzine, a town in central Lebanon, where livestock famer Youssef Halim described an Israeli drone strike that killed about 300 valuable animals. The farm's owners said the damage to their property and livestock was worth around $100,000.

Agriculture is an economic lifeline for communities across southern Lebanon, making such attacks particularly devastating. In April, Prime Minister Najib Mikati declared a disaster in the region after daily Israeli attacks destroyed 800 hectares of farmland, leaving three quarters of farmers there without an income. In May, Agriculture Minister Abbas Hajj Hassan said the Israeli attacks meant up to 30 per cent of Lebanon's agricultural output had been affected.

In addition to the immediate danger of being killed in an Israeli airstrike, the possibility of losing a loved one or facing another wave of no-warning booby traps, the precarity facing the Lebanese people is only increasing. As the state struggles to provide electricity and other basic services, Israeli attacks highlight its deficiencies. A strike on Beirut’s main international airport or a major seaport such as Tripoli would hamstring the country’s already faltering supply chains and logistics networks, further exposing the state’s inability to help a frightened and impoverished population.

This only plays into the hands of Hezbollah. Although the militia arose due to the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, it went on to become a state within a state, having its own political agenda. In many areas, the Iran-backed group provides vital social services and lines of credit, creating a parallel welfare system. Israel’s continuing ruination of its neighbours’ livelihoods threatens to drive more Lebanese into the arms of the militants.

The call for an immediate 21-day ceasefire issued late on Wednesday by the UAE, US, Saudi Arabia and others – if acted upon – would bring much-needed reprieve to Lebanon’s beleaguered people. But the undermining of the country’s sovereignty, security and economy by this escalation, something that has hit the pressure points created by decades of mismanagement, will take years of internal reform and international support to put right. That work must be a priority when the fog of war is lifted.