IOF allocates $31 million to rehabilitate infrastructure in the North
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Israeli media reports that the Israeli Ministry of Settlement has decided to allocate $31 million in initial aid to rehabilitate infrastructure in 41 northern settlements in preparation for the return of settlers.
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Israeli soldiers inspect the site where a rocket fired from Lebanon landed in a backyard in Kiryat Shmona, northern "Israel", on November 26, 2024. (AP)
Israeli media reported that the Ministry of Settlement has allocated 111 million shekels (approximately 31 million dollars) as initial aid to rehabilitate infrastructure and public facilities in 41 northern settlements in preparation for the return of settlers.
Israeli Settlement Minister Orit Struck stated that, in the first phase, public buildings and facilities will be renovated to allow settlers to work in these spaces. Efforts will also continue to strengthen social protection for the displaced.
Israeli media reported last November that the damage in the northern settlements was estimated at 5 billion shekels (over $1.3 billion).
Channel 12 reported that data on the destruction in the northern settlements revealed that 2,585 homes were damaged, including 1,000 homes with significant damage caused by Hezbollah fire from Lebanon.
Up until November 21, in Kiryat Shmona, more than 300 homes were damaged, with 64 of them experiencing severe destruction.
Meanwhile, Shlomi reported 360 housing units damaged, while Metulla experienced major damage to 150 units and minor damage to 250 others. In Nahariya, 190 housing units were affected, with 48 suffering severe damage.
Northern settlers' return to residences could take years: Deputy mayor
Settlers of northern occupied Palestine will eventually return to their settlements, though the process of rebuilding the area could take years, said Alex Karachun, deputy mayor of the northern Israeli settlement of Kiryat Shmona, in an interview with RIA Novosti on November 29.
"Ultimately, the government will bring us back because if they don't, we risk losing our borders. The residents are determined and plan to return, although we know it may take one, two, or even three years," Karachun said.
He added that all wars eventually lead to some form of agreement and that the Israeli government must secure a reliable pact to ensure the safety of northern settlers.
Karachun stressed that "an agreement will come eventually, but it must guarantee our security at home, ensuring that no one can look into our windows from across the border."
Elsewhere in his remarks, the deputy mayor emphasized that this particular war has been unlike any "Israel" has faced before, making the rebuilding process longer than usual.
