'We will rebuild, again and again': Lebanese chef Husen Fayad tells TNA after Israel destroys guesthouse project

Lebanese chef Husen Fayad remains determined to rebuild in southern Lebanon after an Israeli strike destroyed his new guesthouse project, months after his family-owned hotel and restaurant were also reduced to rubble.

The renowned chef had spent two years building his 'Bouyout Al Moulouk' real-estate project before it was destroyed in an Israeli strike.

"I still see a future for our projects in our south. We will rebuild, again and again," Fayad told The New Arab.

Fayad shared images on his Instagram account, where he has over 4.4 million followers, showing aerial views of the Bouyout Al Moulouk project before and after it was destroyed, with a caption reading: "The war is taking everything."

"I had been building a new project — six villas with a large kitchen — and I wasn’t really worried about it. My dream was to open this project this summer and finally see all the hard work of these past years become a reality," he wrote.

"I didn’t even get the chance to welcome a single guest or visitor. My restaurant is gone, and today my new project is gone too," Fayad wrote on Instagram, where his intricate culinary work had gained traction worldwide.

The project was being built in the southern area of Wadi al-Hujeir, which has been designated a nature reserve since 2010. Like much of Lebanon’s south, the area has been under continued Israeli attack during the nearly three-year-long war on Lebanon.

Israel has razed dozens of towns and villages in the areas it occupies in southern Lebanon. The so-called "Yellow Line," a security zone stretching along the entire border, has seen localities turned to rubble and agricultural land damaged by white phosphorus, preventing hundreds of thousands of residents from returning home.

"I remember every stone as it was being built, every effort we put into making this beautiful place that I never even got the chance to open. Today, it has all been reduced to rubble," Fayad said.

"My heart is hurting, but everything is in God’s hands. No good deed goes to waste," Fayad wrote on another Instagram Story.

Fayad said he wanted Bouyout Al Moulouk, Arabic for 'homes of kings', to showcase Lebanon’s beauty, as he decried the ongoing suffering caused by Israel’s offensive.

"I took photos from the very beginning, watching it being built. I said [to myself], these photos will remain as beautiful memories... Two years of hard work went into building it, and then came the time to open it."

Fayad said the project was intended to show visitors a different side of southern Lebanon.

"My dream was for people to see the beauty of Lebanon and the south. I wish people could see the injustice and pain that is happening there, especially those who live abroad, who know and feel the value of the land," he wrote, adding: "My beloved south, what is happening to you?"

Despite his grief, Fayad told The New Arab he remained optimistic.

"[Despite] going through a lot with this project and putting so much into it - it's not only about financial losses, but also the emotional and moral side of it too, but I still believe in creating projects in our south," he added.

Sympathies poured in on social media, with followers sending messages of love and support.

"What a tragedy. All my support to this valiant young man! I hope he pulls through," one X user wrote.