Israeli media has described the situation in northern occupied Palestine as an "endless nightmare," with settlers grappling with fear, frustration, and an unbearable routine of life "between [air raid] warnings."

According to Yedioth Ahronoth journalist Roi Kais, northern settlers hear news of progress in negotiations and Israeli efforts to settle the war on Lebanon. Yet, their daily reality remains dominated by warnings and evacuations.

On Friday evening, a single drone hovering for about an hour forced tens of thousands into shelters until it exploded. The affected areas stretched from western al-Jalil, Nahariya, and Akka to the Krayot and the Carmel regions. "No one sees an end in sight," Kais remarked.

For many settlers, this has become an unbearable routine involving exchanges of fire and rockets launched from Lebanon into western Galilee and Haifa. A Nahariya settler, who sought shelter during Friday's sudden alarms, spoke of widespread trauma. "We're all suffering. Even the dogs now instinctively run to the shelter," he said.

"One moment, everything changes," he added. "Seven phones issued alerts simultaneously during dinner, and from there, it all begins."

Kais also highlighted the challenges of life in shelters, describing it as deeply frustrating and mentally taxing. Settlers report pressure, division, and mounting despair, with rocket shrapnel causing damage to cars and gardens.

Drones, the greatest threat

Drone threats, meanwhile, have proven more disruptive than rocket attacks, forcing hundreds of thousands into shelters. Settlers in Nahariya express growing resentment over the lack of evacuation plans. They face collapsing businesses and an absence of educational frameworks for children, despite expectations of normalcy.

In Akka, the situation is no better. Described by a settler as a "ghost town," the Israeli-occupied city is plagued by surreal scenes. "I find myself driving with rockets being intercepted above me, while cafes are shut, and recreational areas are deserted," the settler said.

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The Krayot settlers also report feeling unsafe even in their residences, with no assurances of security.

Kais concluded that northern settlers are living an "unbearable reality," where alarms and shelters dominate their daily lives, with many left wondering, "When will this nightmare end?"

The escalating tension comes amid Hezbollah's intensified operations targeting northern occupied Palestine. The Lebanese Resistance group has expanded its attacks in defense of Lebanon and its people, and in support of Gaza and its resistance, as Israeli aggression escalates.

Settlers cannot return north

Meanwhile, 82.5% of Israelis believe that the current security situation prevents the return of settlers to northern occupied Palestine, the Israeli Institute for National Strategic Studies (INSS) revealed.

Additionally, 45% believe that "Israel" should strongly work toward reaching a ceasefire deal with Lebanon to guarantee the occupation's security needs. Meanwhile, 24% of Israelis have contemplated moving abroad, while only 29% said that they would encourage their children to enlist in the Israeli occupation forces. 

In this context, Moshe Davidovich, head of the Front Line Settlements Forum in northern occupied Palestine, previously described "a bizarre state of calm mixed with extreme panic" caused by the intensity of rocket and drone attacks from Lebanon over the past three days.

Davidovich told "Israel's" Channel 12 that this morning "began with a drone attack, and this has now become routine," noting that "as the days go by, Hezbollah's pressure continues to intensify."

He continued, "We want to bring the settlers back to the north, but calm must be restored first, which has not happened yet and is still a long way off," adding that "the situation remains very sensitive, with tensions running extremely high."