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Despite incentives, Israelis refuse to return north fearing Hezbollah

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Bloomberg
3 Dec 2023 19:55
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Israeli settlers are still refusing to return to their settlements, citing fear from the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon.

Israeli occupation forces deployed between houses in the Israeli settlement of "Metulla", as seen from the Lebanese side of the Blue Line in the southern village of Kfar Kila, Friday, Oct. 13, 2023. (AP)

Having occupied the north and settled in it, incentivized by economic endeavors and an "idyllic scene", Israeli settlers now refuse to return to their settlements citing fear that the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon, Hezbollah, has proven its ability to circumvent the Israeli occupation forces' "security measures", becoming an existential threat to the entire occupation.

Today, a report by Bloomberg comes to discuss a major dilemma in the north of occupied Palestine where Israeli settlers have been refusing to return after they were forced to evacuate in light of Lebanese Resistance operations in support of the Palestinian Resistance on the Gaza Strip front.

According to the report, "Israel" is set to face an "upcoming problem" referring to the presence of a militarily capable Resistance in Lebanon: "How to get the tens of thousands of people [settlers] who have fled the region [occupied northern territories] to return when an existential threat [Hezbollah] is in eyesight just across the border."

The report interviewed an IOF member serving as a tank captain who explained that the north [of occupied Palestine] has become unsafe, saying, "Anyone who moves here will get injured," stressing that settlers there "have no actual security and no sense of security to come back."

The soldier highlighted the condition required for Israeli occupiers to be able to return, saying, "In order to allow the citizens to come back, we have to have a clear indication from our enemies in Lebanon, Hezbollah, that they have no intention of attacking people."

Occupiers request guarantees to secure occupation: Not granted

At a time when Hezbollah, established to liberate Lebanon from the Israeli occupation, has been historically clear in identifying "Israel" as an occupation and thus an enemy, Israeli settlers are seeking guarantees from the Resistance to return and continue to occupy Palestinian and Lebanese territories south of the Blue Line (the line "Israel" was forced to withdraw behind back in 2000).

It is also worth noting that the report, which requested a "clear indication" from Hezbollah that "they have no intention of attacking people," proved that even in animosity, Hezbollah has kept its word, historically, and focused its targeting and military attacks against military personnel, vehicles, and locations, while sparing civilian casualties as often as possible.

Some might deny that by referring to the recent targeting of civilian quarters, by Hezbollah, in the northern settlements, slamming once again the blatant lies of Israeli media, which had reported that all northern settlements had been devoid of Israeli settlers.

In fact, it was only after "Israel" deliberately and repeatedly attacked Lebanese civilians and journalists that the Resistance reinstated the civilian-for-civilian deterrence equation.

Not even incentives could solve the 'security' dilemma

Moreover, the tank captain claimed that "Hezbollah has planned to do something very similar in the north for years," reaffirming the fear that such a plan could still be on the table, especially following the successful Operation Al-Aqsa Flood of the Palestinian Resistance, which is considered to be militarily less advanced than Hezbollah.

On that note, since the operations in support of the Palestinian Resistance began in the north of occupied Palestine, as many as 250 people who usually live in the "Menara" Kibbutz have decamped to the town of Tabarayya where the Israeli occupation government has been paying for their accommodation.

Significantly, the report stressed that a solution for the dilemma of the north could be that a "stronger military presence" in the northern settlements "may deter Hezbollah from crossing the border or stepping up its attacks," however, it stressed that even with such a decision by the Israeli occupation, "it’s unlikely to convince Israelis who live in the region to come."

The report further underscored that such a decision will also not "diminish the threat of Hezbollah’s more advanced weaponry, which includes missiles that could strike as far afield as Eilat on Israel’s southeastern tip."

Settler Ron Tomer, president of the "Manufacturers’ Association of Israel," on his part, stressed that even though "the government has begun paying incentives to workers to return to their jobs in the north, topping up their salaries," it remained that the incentive "doesn’t address the security question, or provide long-term clarity to those who live along the northern border as to whether they should return."

As for the tank captain, the report noted that he believed that "there’s no other option" than to maintain a heavy military presence in the north until "Israel" can "bring back the sense of security."

While the sense of security the occupation sought has become out of sight, it remained that the existential crisis the occupation is faced with has deepened as liberation movements in the region voiced their positions and proved their willingness and commitment to liberation.