During the recent Israeli war on Lebanon which lasted over two months, the squatting of vacant buildings proliferated as a prominent way for accessing housing and shelter due to the lack of alternatives. This occurred amid increasing displacement, overcrowded official shelters, skyrocketing rent prices, and the absence of a comprehensive approach to adequate housing in the “National Emergency Plan.”
In this context, we documented 27 buildings in Beirut squatted by displaced individuals during the war, as a practice that reinforced the right to the city and housing. Despite the war and the lack of housing alternatives for the displaced, several of these buildings and their residents were threatened with eviction, and evictions were carried out in some cases (at least 10 buildings). Opinions on these evictions varied, ranging from denunciation to full support, with some labeling the displaced as occupiers infringing on private property.
In an attempt to understand these practices, this report aims to document the legal and political tools used to enforce evictions and eviction threats in three case studies in Beirut, emphasizing their illegitimacy. It also highlights the need to challenge the stigmatization and criminalization of squatting, especially during wartime, based on legal and human rights grounds, affirming the role of these practices in restoring the social value of vacant buildings.
