iranian funds have already enabled hezbollah to prove between $300 to $400 to each of the 233,500 families displaced from the beqaa in south lebanon and south beirut for various needs, including rent, fuel, and food. until this past friday, 74% of those had received payments, with a total of $57 million distributed to 172,000 families. what remains are 26% and a total of $20 million, about 61,500 familiesfor a sum of $77 million for 233,500, which has partially been paid, and the remainder will be paid, god willing, hezbollah secretary-general naim qassem said. regarding reconstruction, qassem said hezbollah would offer anyone whose primary and sole home had been destroyed a sum of $8,000 in restitution payments. if that person resided in beirut, hezbollah would provide them with an additional $6,000 rental stipend to be distributed monthly over a year. those residing outside of beirut would receive a similar $4,000 stipend. iran had transferred $1 billion to hezbollah upon the ceasefire going into effect for reconstruction and housing aid. an arab barometer poll from september showed that 85% of shiiteslebanons fastest-growing and likely largest secthad considerable trust in hezbollah. a prior washington institute poll from january showed that 93% of lebanese shiites viewed hezbollah positively; 89% of them very positively. these numbers tracked with hezbollahs results in the may 2022 parliamentary elections, when the group won 356,122 of approximately 1.8 million votes castthe most of any party and beating the runner-up lebanese forces party by almost 152,725 votes. hezbollahs path to regenerationby securing the needs of its base and retaining popular supportwill be virtually guaranteed through the legitimacy granted to lebanon by an international community that is inexplicably protective over this small levantine country.
Jihadi