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Countering Hizbullah's Reconstruction Politics in South Lebanon
(Washington Institute for Near East Policy) Hanin Ghaddar - The Lebanese government is apparently relying on the Council for South Lebanon (CSL) - an institution closely associated with Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, the head of the Amal Party and Hizbullah's chief political ally - to manage postwar reconstruction in the region. The reconstruction model taking shape in the south could help Hizbullah regain popular support. Since August 2025, Beirut's allotments to CSL have reached $132 million. Yet recipients are typically given the impression that their new prefab homes are gifts from Berri, Amal, and, by extension, Hizbullah rather than assistance from the central government. If done properly, reconstruction can rebuild trust between a government and its citizens. If done wrong, it strengthens malign actors and sets the stage for the next round of conflict. The writer is a Senior Fellow in The Washington Institute's Program on Arab Politics.