BINT JBEIL, Lebanon: A year after war erupted in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah, most of the old town of Bint Jbeil still lies in dusty ruins.

But among the silent streets of shattered houses in what was once a densely packed neighborhood, 60-year-old Ihsan Bazzi has used his retirement nest egg to rebuild his family home.

"The engineers told me they wanted to demolish the house, but I refused. I inherited it from my father who built it stone on stone," he explained over bitter coffee and sweet cherries.

Qatar, which has promised to rebuild Bint Jbeil and three other southern towns hardest hit in the 34-day war, paid Bazzi nearly a quarter of the $32,000 he has spent on repairs.

He has received nothing yet from the Lebanese government or Hezbollah. "I didn't wait for anyone to help me. I see the humiliation of the people pushing and shoving to get money -- and you see the (party) supporters getting paid first."

Both Hezbollah and government officials involved in rival reconstruction efforts agree that Bint Jbeil is a special case.

Conflicting damage assessments, disputes over whether the historic town centre should be preserved or replaced with apartment blocks, and the absence of many property owners who live in Beirut or abroad have helped to delay the Qataris.

Locals are grateful to the Gulf emirate anyway, contrasting its deeds with decades of government neglect of the south.

"As far as (Prime Minister Fouad) Siniora is concerned, anything south of Sidon isn't part of Lebanon," complained the pro-Hezbollah head of Bint Jbeil municipality, Ali Bazzi.

Israeli bombing devastated parts of the south and Beirut's suburbs, along with bridges, airports and other targets elsewhere. Hezbollah rockets caused damage in northern Israel.