Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri accused Thursday the Lebanese government of ignoring the residents of the southern border villages, claiming that the Raouche light show has taken much more attention from the government than rebuilding the war-hit villages in order for the residents to return home.

"Unfortunately, (the government is acting) as if the South is not part of Lebanon," Berri decried, adding that the 2026 budget will not pass if it does not include a clear clause related to the reconstruction.