100s of damaged houses in Shlomi, settlers not back yet: Israeli media

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
14 Dec 2024 17:26

Israeli media report that hundreds of residence units in the Shlomi settlement were damaged in the war with Hezbollah, with settlers unable to return until Israeli security is fully restored.

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A damaged house hit by a rocket fired from Lebanon in Shlomi, northern occupied Palestine, near the border with Lebanon, on Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024 (AP)

Hundreds of residence units in the settlement of Shlomi in northern occupied Palestine were damaged as a result of the war with Lebanon, Israeli media reported, adding that settlers would only return "when security is fully restored and all minor and major violations of the ceasefire are addressed."

The Israeli website Walla reported that before October 7, 2023, the settlement housed 9,000 settlers, nearly all of whom were evacuated in the early days of the war, noting that most of them had not yet returned to their houses.

War damage

According to Walla, approximately 500 homes in Shlomi were directly or indirectly damaged, with the local council expressing concern that the full extent of the damage would not be clear until all the settlers returned to their homes.

The Israeli site mentioned that during the war, there were three direct strikes on public buildings and 19 direct hits on private houses, in addition to 16 infrastructure facilities damaged due to fire from Hezbollah and Israeli occupation forces, with over 20 cases of damage to public buildings reported due to their use by Israeli occupation forces.

No return before security is restored

Walla further reported that about 1,000 housing units—around 40% of the houses in the settlement—still lack emergency shelters.

In this regard, the head of the local council, Gabi Naaman, said, "I know it will take some time to restore things to their previous state and repair the massive damage..."

Naaman pointed out that the Israeli occupation government has not yet agreed to provide assistance for the settlement's reconstruction, adding, "What we need today more than ever is a complete sense of security. It is important for us to know that the ceasefire is being applied effectively and strictly and that weapons like those found in the area will not reappear."

He also noted that only when "security is fully restored and all minor and major violations of the ceasefire are addressed will the settlers and the economy be able to return and thrive as before."

It is worth mentioning that Israeli media had earlier revealed that the damages in the northern settlements amounted to 5 billion shekels, more than 1.3 billion dollars, due to Hezbollah's operations.