North “Israel” An Enclave within War Zone: “Israelis” Fear Hezbollah’s Missiles, Drones from Dusk to Dawn

By Staff, Agencies

Under the title, “Northern ‘Israeli’ towns sheltering instead of celebrating’, “Israeli” Ynet lamented the fact that “The few remaining ‘Israelis’ in the Galilee area stayed close to safe rooms.”

According to the daily, “Under normal circumstances, the rentals business at ‘Kfar Blum’ would now be hard at work preparing for the summer season. But now, the site is completely deserted.”

 “Our reality here is accompanied by absolute uncertainty. Only yesterday, two drones fell in the area. The security situation doesn’t allow for optimism for northern tourism. As it stands, the summer in the Galilee will also be sad and tense,” One of the businessmen said.

For his part, the head of the Upper Galilee Regional Council Giora Zaltz said: “The government must stop treating the north as some side project.”

He expressed his anger at the current reality where northern settlements remain deep in a war while the rest of the entity “celebrates Purim while tens of thousands of ‘residents’ here do not receive basic services.”

He said sirens warned of incoming drones on Monday, only after they crashed nearby. “At night 50 rockets were fired toward the Hula Valley and the Golan Heights. We continue our lives as if everything’s normal. We can’t go on like this,” he said.

“The government must change the equation in the north and create a different and new reality that will allow us to return ‘home’ with a high level of security. We’ll be in the midst of a crisis if what needs to be done for us to open the next school year in the north, isn’t carried through.”

“Today is the 170th day that we find ourselves living in what feels like an ‘Israeli’ enclave within a war zone. There’s no Purim or festive atmosphere here,” said Yoram Even-Zur, a member of the Upper Galilee Regional Council.

He further mentioned that “You don't understand what we're going through. Early in the morning on Monday, we ran to safe rooms while covering our heads. It sounded like the missiles were falling in our backyard. Dozens of rockets fell in open areas in the region.”

He said that “after October 7, over 60000 settlers were evacuated by the government and according to the army’s recommendations, and now the communities that are close to the border, demand a government plan that will address their concerns as well.”

“People were evacuated because of fear of infiltrations, but the missile threat remains. The government hasn’t adapted to dealing with its ‘citizens’ living under threat. This area is shut down and doesn’t function in any aspect. Our regional capital, 'Kiryat Shemona', is deserted,” Even-Zur said, noting that “We’re exposed to drone and missile threats on a daily basis from dusk until dawn.”

According to Ynet “While the Upper Galilee awaits a miracle, or at the very least a government decision that will ensure the safety in communities where over half the ‘residents’ live without safe rooms and are still not entitled to receive funding to build one, ‘residents’ of the Western Galilee of ‘Shlomi’ received the awaited news.”

“It's a great privilege to inform you on Purim, that a final agreement with the ‘Defense’ Ministry was reached, to build 1,000 safe rooms for ‘residents’ who don’t currently have them," said Shlomi Mayor Gabi Naaman.

“I hope that Hezbollah will be removed away from the border soon, and we, in 'Shlomi', would be able to return.”