Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Israeli media: Intense US efforts are being made to resolve differences, such as the issue of the Israeli presence on Mount Hermon and in southern Syria
Israeli media: The security agreement means amending the disengagement agreement, which will also address the Druze issue
Israeli media: Attempts to reach a security agreement between 'Israel' and Syria were among the topics discussed at the Paris meeting
Israeli media: Sheikh Muwaffaq Tarif rejected a US proposal to join the recent tripartite meeting between Tom Barrack, al-Shaibani, and Dermer
Saba News Agency: Two martyred, five injured in a preliminary toll of the Israeli aggression on the Yemeni Oil Company station on Al-Sitteen Street in Sanaa
Senior Yemeni military source to Al Mayadeen: We observed a state of confusion among the enemy's aircraft squadron after Yemeni air defenses intercepted the attack
Senior Yemeni military source to Al Mayadeen: The Yemeni air defense forces succeeded in neutralizing a squadron of enemy aircraft and prevented airstrikes on some governorates
Senior Yemeni military source to Al Mayadeen: Our air defenses and missile forces forced a formation of enemy aircraft to flee the airspace
Member of the Ansar Allah Political Bureau, Mohammed al-Bukhaiti: The Israeli aggression on Yemen will not deter us from continuing to support Gaza, no matter the sacrifices
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Israeli aggression targeted the Yemeni Oil Company station on Al-Sitteen Street, southwest of the capital, Sanaa, with several raids

'Israel's' famed 'Metula' settlement is now a ghost town: Official

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Israeli media
  • 10 Apr 2024 19:15
  • 2 Shares
3 Min Read

The head of the settlement's council delves into the mounting crises faced by settlers in the north and the contrasting picture drawn by Lebanese residents on the other side.

  • x
  • 'Israel's' famed 'Metula' settlement is now a ghost town: Official
    An Israeli tank unit is seen in the northern Israeli settlement of Metula near the blue line between occupied Palestine and Lebanon on April 9, 2024 (AFP)

The Israeli "Metula" settlement has been abandoned for nearly half a year following the outbreak of Hezbollah's operations in support of the Palestinian people on October 8, 2023. 

A report published by Israeli broadcaster Kan, delved into the daily lives of Israeli settlers in the colonial outpost, located on the tip of the al-Jalil Panhandle, directly at the Lebanese-Palestinian border. Once a landmark for the Israeli colonial project in northern occupied territories, "Metula" is now a ghost town, as most of its settlers and businesses have abandoned it, leaving behind acres of agricultural land and multiple factories. 

The head of the "Metula" Council, David Azoulay, said that settlers are burying their dead under the veil of the night, fearing direct fire from Lebanon.

"They have become like thieves in the night, burying their dead fearing being monitored and targeted,"  Azoulay said. 

On his part, Kan's correspondent from the north, Rubi Hammerschlag, said that, in light of ongoing confrontation in the area, he fears approaching the road nearest to the border. 

Hammerschlag is afraid of being "monitored from the (Lebanese) Kfar Kila village or al-Khiyam, which are only a few hundred meters away from us.

"[We fear] that precise missile be launched at us," Kan's correspondent from the north emphasized. 

Related News

Sweden’s pension fund invests in Israeli white phosphorus producer

Lebanese army rejects Israeli claims of UNIFIL collusion as 'baseless'

The situation in the northernmost settlement is as follows, according to Hammerschlag: Warning sirens going off, a rocket artillery or a missile coming from Lebanon. 

Read more: 'Metula' mayor: 80K settlers are displaced, no prospect of return

Southerners paint a stark picture of resilience

As for the head of the settlement's council, Azoulay said that the authorities are restricting the number of mourners that can participate in funeral processions in the settlement, while dozens of southerners in Lebanese border towns, waiving Hezbollah flags, participate in their own processions on the other side of the border. 

  • 'Israel's' famed 'Metula' settlement is now a ghost town: Official
    Residents of the Lebanese border town, Kfar Kila, as well as relatives and Hezbollah members, participate in the funeral procession of martyr, Abed al-Amir Hassan Halawi, "Ali al-Rida", on April 9, 2024. The martyr on the path to al-Quds,  was named after one of the town's first martyrs in confrontation with the Israeli occupation, martyr Abed al-Amir Halawi, who was killed in an Israeli raid on his home after hours-long confrontations on November 27, 1975. (@alishoeib1970/X) 

"The second side has not really gone away and is not deterred, but we are deterred, as we [carry out our funeral processions] like thieves in the night and they do it freely," Azoulay said, painting a stark picture of Lebanese border town citizens' resilience in the face of Israeli aggression. 

Cross-border confrontations severely damage "Metula"

In confrontations nearly 140 settling units were damaged in "Metulla" and 15 to 20 others were completely destroyed. Essential infrastructure was also severely damaged in the settlement. In detail, sidewalks were destroyed and light posts have been turned into scrap metal, due to the operations of the Israeli occupation forces' armory, which has to work on destroying key streets to block the path to possible ground attacks from Lebanon. 

  • 'Israel's' famed 'Metula' settlement is now a ghost town: Official
    A dog walks past a destroyed car in the deserted northern Israeli settlement of "Metula", occupied Palestine, on March 19, 2024 (AFP)

When delving into such details, Israeli officials and settlers have always made sure to make mention of Hezbollah's elite Radwan force, named after leader and commander martyr Imad Mughniyeh. As such in his remarks to Kan, Azoulay did mention the possibility of an attack by the Radwan Force, as a driver behind the Israeli military's barricading activities. 

He also mentioned that at least 25% of the colonial outpost's community will not return to it, pointing to the state of neglect that has taken hold of the town, which was a renowned summer resort to Israelis.

Read more: Hezbollah targets crowd of occupation soldiers inside 'Metula' 

  • South Lebanon
  • Metula settlement
  • Battle of Al-Aqsa Flood
  • Israel
  • Hezbollah
  • Al-Jalil Panhandle
War on Gaza

War on Gaza

Most Read

Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, executive director of the defense division of the Israeli National Cyber Directorate, undated (Social media)

Israeli-born US prosecutor drops Israeli officer child sex crime

  • Politics
  • 19 Aug 2025
Displaced Palestinians walk through a makeshift camp along the beach in Gaza City, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025 (AP)

Hamas, other factions accept Egypt-Qatar ceasefire proposal: Exclusive

  • Politics
  • 18 Aug 2025
Palestine will not be liberated by UN reports, but by pursuing a different strategic horizon: one that does not beg for recognition. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)

Economy of Genocide: Albanese's report accuses, but doesn't dismantle system

  • Opinion
  • 18 Aug 2025
Israeli soldiers stand on the top of armoured vehicles parked on an area near the Israeli-Gaza border, as seen from southern Israel, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025 (AP)

Palestinian fighters target Israeli soldiers, vehicles in Gaza

  • Politics
  • 21 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference at the Prime minister's office in al-Quds, Occupied Palestine, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Netanyahu deliberately derailing truce with Gaza occupation: Hamas

Irish President Michael Higgins arrives to deliver his speech during a 42nd World Food Day celebration at FAO headquarters in Rome, on Oct. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Politics

Irish president renews call for UN military intervention in Gaza

US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the US Embassy in Aukar, northern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, July 21, 2025 (AP)
Politics

US envoy, Netanyahu discuss restraining attacks on Lebanon, withdrawal

Smoke billows following Israeli airstrikes in multiple areas in Sanaa, Yemen, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Ansar Allah vow sustained Gaza support despite Israeli strikes

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS