Hezbollah struggles to survive: Money is running out, compensation is delayed, and residents are furious

New testimonies reveal the dire situation within the terrorist organization: Lebanese residents report that Hezbollah is struggling to survive as funds run dry and promised compensation for damaged homes remains unpaid.

"Until now, the compensation they promised us has not arrived, and the check they gave me after the 2024 war is still in my bag, uncashed. Every time I ask, I don't get a satisfactory answer. I think I've already given up and will have to bear the cost of repairing my damaged house myself," said Lina, a resident of the Bekaa region, after losing hope in the compensation promised by the terrorist organization.

Following the 2024 war, Hezbollah announced that "Al-Qard al-Hassan," a financial institution affiliated with the organization in Lebanon, would pay between $12,000 and $14,000 to every family whose home was destroyed. However, this did not materialize; while some aid was distributed, it was done selectively, leaving many without the promised support.

According to a report in the Lebanese newspaper Nidaa al-Watan, Hezbollah continues to pay salaries to its operatives—ranging from $600 to $700 for fighting against Israel, with increases based on rank—but has ceased many social services and allowances for its broader support base.

Sources speaking to the newspaper indicate that Hezbollah's current focus is purely on survival, viewing the campaign as existential. Consequently, funding received from Iran via indirect channels is directed primarily toward replenishing weapons stockpiles, while humanitarian and social commitments are deferred.

The source added that with the drying up of funding sources, such as "Al-Qard al-Hassan" and various Hezbollah-owned gas stations and money-changing businesses, combined with tighter oversight at the airport and land crossings, the organization is forced to slash expenses and prioritize military needs.

After years of exploiting the Lebanese financial system, the situation has shifted, "especially in light of the prevention of Iranian planes from landing at Beirut airport due to intelligence regarding cash shipments, as well as the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime and the closure of several illegal crossings. All these factors have forced Hezbollah and Iran to seek more complex and difficult ways to transfer funds."

Iran increases aid

According to US State Department estimates published before the war, Iran transferred approximately $700 million annually to Hezbollah. Lebanese, American, and Israeli officials note that Tehran increased financial aid over the past year, yet war expenses have surged to such an extent that these sums no longer cover the organization's needs.

Funds are transferred from Iran through certain countries using the "hawala" system—an informal mechanism for transferring money between intermediaries that avoids physical cash transport across borders. Additionally, reports indicate that some funds have arrived in cash via specific individuals.

Last November, the US Treasury Department, as part of sanctions imposed on Lebanese money changers, announced that Iran had transferred approximately $1 billion to Hezbollah that year, mostly through the "hawala" system.