Bombing the builders: How Israel is blocking reconstruction in Lebanon to carve out a buffer zone

Brand-new rolls of fabric litter the concrete ruins where Sobhi Hamdan’s textile factory once stood, before the Israeli army blew it up.

Lavender, azure and light pink, some still wrapped in plastic, the textiles' bright colours stand in contrast to the scene of desolation in Meiss El Jabal, a southern Lebanese border town shattered by Israeli attacks.

Like much of Lebanon’s deep south, where roads are lined with destruction, shattered houses, collapsed mosques and broken water pumps, Meiss El Jabal in Nabatieh governorate bears the scars of 13 months of conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. This supposedly ended with a ceasefire in November last year.

But the factory's ruins are not technically remnants of the war − the building was blown up months after the ceasefire was agreed, in July, during an overnight Israeli infiltration into Lebanese territory.

“I came to rebuild my factory, which I had found in ruins when we came back to our village, thinking that peace had returned,” said Mr Hamdan, as he walked through what remained of his two-storey building − scattered, ruined merchandise and piles of rubble.

“And suddenly Israel attacked again. How could I have known?”

About 20 families lived off the factory, which supplied mattresses, blankets and cushions across Lebanon. “I lost everything,” the 66-year-old said. “The building, the equipment, the merchandise, my house − it’s a decade of work gone.”

The loud buzzing of a drone cut the interview short, and Mr Hamdan hurried away, under the looming threat of the killer device.

He is not an exception. Lebanese officials and human rights experts told The National that Israel has been systematically targeting reconstruction efforts since the ceasefire was agreed, in an effort to carve out a buffer zone in southern Lebanon.

Sobhi Hamdan's textile factory was struck by Israel in July, long after the ceasefire with Hezbollah came into effect. Mohamed Zanaty for The National

Based on data provided by Public Works Studio, which initiates research projects and has been monitoring daily Israeli attacks on Lebanon, classifying them by location, target and weapon, The National was able to identify 43 Israeli attacks on reconstruction equipment, 32 attacks on prefabricated buildings and seven attacks on factories since the ceasefire was agreed.

The data also shows four Israeli attacks on engineers and civil defence workers inspecting damage and carrying out work.

In one case, Israeli raids targeted six heavy equipment yards, killing one person and destroying and burning around 300 pieces of machinery, reported Lebanon's state media.

Hashem Haider, president of the Council for the South, which manages reconstruction efforts, told The National that se