The raids launched by Israeli aircraft on the night of October 11, 2024, on the city of Nabatieh, which specifically targeted its commercial market, resulted in the obliteration of the landmarks of the city center, and caused total and complete destruction of more than 55 commercial establishments, which together form what is known as the popular Monday Market Square, each one of which is an integral part of the city’s human heritage, its collective memory, and a living witness to its emergence, expansion, development, and the succession of its generations and merchants.
As for the establishments that were destroyed or damaged outside this square, i.e., in the main streets of the city (Marjeyoun, Al-Sabbah, Faqih and Bir Al-Qandil) and on its entrances, outskirts and inside its residential neighborhoods, their number is close to 300 shops, clinics, establishments and offices.
According to unofficial estimates, 70% of homes, residential units, and commercial establishments in Nabatieh were either completely or partially destroyed as a result of the Israeli raids over 66 days. The destruction affected schools, institutes, universities, hospitals, and association centers, in addition to severe damage to infrastructure, including roads and alleys leading into neighborhoods, which delayed the return and resettlement of residents. Furthermore, the electricity, water, and internet networks were destroyed. The same estimates predict that the cost of rebuilding Nabatieh will exceed $200 million.
These figures and estimates were issued by civil society associations and organizations or were disseminated through press reports, as no official body, whether governmental or partisan, has bothered to count the damages in Nabatieh or the cost of reconstruction.
Despite this, calls to rebuild the Nabatieh market began from the first day of the return of the displaced, following the announcement of a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, but these calls have so far failed and remained within the framework of verbal promises, due to the complexity of the disputes and the many legal obstacles at times, and political obstacles at other times.
On a civilian level, the efforts that bore fruit were those made by the people and owners of the destroyed and damaged shops, who immediately began opening the roads and removing the rubble upon their return to Nabatieh, without waiting for an invitation, plan, or decision from anyone.
A few days after the auspicious return, the Shiite religious authority in Najaf, represented by Sayyid Ali al-Sistani, announced an initiative to remove the rubble and debris and rebuild the commercial market at its own expense, and allocated a large sum of money for this purpose, with the bulldozing and construction work to be carried out under the supervision of Sayyid al-Sistani himself, and under the direct care of the city’s imam, Sheikh Abdul Hussein Sadiq.
This is because the city of Nabatieh has a special place with the Shiite religious establishment in Najaf, as it is the “City of Hussein,” a title it derived from its revival of the biography of Imam Hussein bin Ali and the memory of the Battle of Karbala throughout time, and because the Al Sadiq family, a religious family of Najaf affiliation, built the first Husseiniya in the history of the Levant in it in 1909.
Within days, the committee tasked with implementing the initiative managed to open the public passages that had been closed by rubble, and then began a damage assessment workshop, but it has not yet announced what it has concluded! In parallel, the initiative proposed building ready-made “kiosks” for the owners of the affected commercial establishments in the vicinity of Al-Baydar, to be used for a period of a year and a half, or until the reconstruction work is completed. However, this project has not yet seen the light of day, due to administrative and logistical obstacles that prevent its completion, in addition to the emergence of some disputes.
In general, the first year of the expanded Israeli war on Lebanon has passed, and the same is true for the destroyed Nabatieh commercial market. Mr. Sistani’s initiative is frozen in place, the damaged and destroyed shops are still as they were, and the restoration and reconstruction operations are halted. There are obstacles and more obstacles, the most prominent of which is the market’s planning file, which constitutes one of the most complex obstacles to reconstruction, in addition to the disputes over “leading” the reconstruction workshop among the local political forces.
The major obstacle that can be discussed without calculations is the planning decree issued in the seventies of the last century, which restricts any new construction in the Nabatieh market, including restoration. Although it was never implemented, it has fallen legally over time, and was confirmed in a law issued in 2006 that confirmed the end of its effects.
Also, in July 2025, a new law was issued allowing owners of destroyed shops to rebuild their units as they were previously, even if they contained old violations, as an exception due to the emergency circumstances.
Under this legal framework, the owners of the destroyed shops instructed the Nabatieh municipality to correspond with the relevant departments to officially inform them of the collapse of the old planning decree, and they requested the removal of the real estate signs placed on the market properties, considering that these signs legally prevent the issuance of building permits.
Removing the real estate signs constitutes the crucial stage before the reconstruction process begins. After removing these signs, the municipality becomes able to grant citizens free building permits, based on Law No. 22 issued by Decree No. 410 dated June 4, 2025, which is an exceptional law that was specifically put in place to address the situation of damaged buildings and facilitate the return of citizens to their shops and properties. However, this step has not yet been completed, and the destruction remains as it is, while the resentment of the residents and merchants affected by the unfair delay is increasing, as voices of objection have begun to rise through social media demanding that the way be opened for reconstruction.
Thus, the crisis of rebuilding the Nabatieh commercial market and the historic Monday market square reflects the entanglement of the legal, administrative and political aspects, and the lack of a rapid implementation mechanism by official institutions in an exceptional circumstance. While initiatives and legal support are available, implementation remains stalled pending the lifting of real estate restrictions and administrative decisions. This makes the market, until now, an exposed witness to the brutality of the enemy on the one hand, and the slowness of the state’s mechanisms in confronting emergency circumstances on the other.
In an interview we conducted with one of the market traders (who refused to reveal his name), we asked him about the obstacles that prevent or delay the removal of the signs placed on the market properties. He replied: “There is a non-administrative obstacle, but it is very specific. Perhaps we can call it a ‘Lebanese’ obstacle, as our country is fertile ground for corruption, nepotism, and power-sharing. It is represented, as the traders and the people of the city say, by the existence of parties that seek to buy the market properties and take control of the commercial activity in Nabatieh, exploiting the pressing economic reality left by the war, coupled with the inability of the majority of those affected to rebuild with their money.” In response to this statement, we did not find any tangible material evidence to prove its validity, except for what is circulated secretly, or what is sometimes published on social media.
Another trader (who also declined to reveal his name) described this new situation by saying: “Some financiers have actually made significant progress in purchasing properties within the heritage market,” adding, “After the enemy succeeded in destroying our livelihoods and emptying the commercial square of its owners, local signs began to emerge to complete the emptying process and change the authentic face of the market by filling it with jewelry shops in a striking manner.”
On the other hand, one of those who helped us conduct this investigation confirms that “there is no smoke without fire, and the rumors that people are circulating about a hidden intention to seize the commercial square, and thus the economic nerve of Nabatieh, sometimes amount to information.”
Will the tragedy of “Solidere” be repeated in the center of Nabatieh? Will the livelihoods of the owners be confiscated once again by making them despair of finding solutions, and then forcing them indirectly to sell to whoever has the money?
No one has the answer. State institutions were exhausted and weakened before the war, due to overlapping political, legal and social factors, so what is their condition after the war?
Therefore, the issue of rebuilding the Nabatieh market remains one of the thorny issues, which opens doors, or rather corridors, to more complex issues, which may be political or otherwise, and we may be able to talk about them someday!
Based on the above, those concerned believe that in order to strengthen trust between it and the citizens, the state must expedite the removal of real estate restrictions from the market, officially announce the collapse of the old planning decree, and then form a crisis cell that includes the ministries concerned with reconstruction, the municipality, and the owners of the destroyed shops, to follow up on implementation daily. It can also launch a transparent financial support fund for reconstruction with bilateral national-international funding, as well as strengthen official communication with the stakeholders who are directly affected, through the issuance of periodic statements and reports that prevent the spread of interpretations and rumors, and involve the local community in planning to ensure transparency and enhance trust.
In conclusion, the “people of the market” hope that the state will develop an economic and regulatory vision that makes reconstruction an opportunity for a real renaissance and a nucleus for forming a healthy mutual relationship, not just restoration, compensation payments, and spending money. This can be achieved by forming a committee of sincere and trustworthy individuals to oversee the reconstruction plan and the funds allocated to it, in order to prevent any intention of corruption. Then, new infrastructure should be created or the old infrastructure rehabilitated as required, traffic should be organized, and spaces should be allocated for local craftsmen and producers, in addition to sponsoring weekly or monthly activities that restore the market to its historical and human role before the economic one.
These demands make the state present, proactive, and transparent, pave the way for reconstruction in accordance with the law, and contribute to rebuilding the relationship between it and the citizens of Nabatieh, as an integral part of Lebanese society, not outside of it or on its margins, and alleviate their feelings of injustice or abandonment… and return them to their original home…