Israeli settlers: We might not return to North even if war ends
2 Min Read
Israeli media report that Israeli settlements in the north of Palestine are empty, as settlers say they may not return to them.
-
US-Israeli settlers wait to be evacuated from the port of Haifa to Cyprus, on October 16, 2023. (AFP)
Yet again, Israeli media highlight the frustration felt by Israeli settlers in the north of occupied Palestine, after they were forced to vacate their settlements following their shelling by the Lebanese Resistance.
Israeli Channel 12 noted that settlements up to 5 km away from Lebanon’s southern borders were vacated, clarifying that nearly 60,000 settlers have been evacuated from the north, 20,000 of whom reside in “Kiryat Shmona”.
Channel 12 also mentioned that the evacuations took place “without prior planning,” further adding that “if the war should end today, not many would hasten to return to the North.”
An Israeli settler also told the Israeli media outlet that settlers in “Kiryat Shmona and the Galilee Panhandle now have to rely on individual security,” further adding that should deterrence no longer be clearly established in the area, settlers would not remain in the North.”
Read more: 'Israel' discriminates between north settlements on evacuation funds
Israeli media: Gaza Envelope settlements excluded from rebuild plan
Israeli settlers in Gaza's Envelope were outraged and dissatisfied after news emerged that their settlements will not be rebuilt, the Israeli Ynet news website reported.
Previous reports indicated that settlements in Gaza's Envelope require more than $800 million for a potential rebuilding project.
The "Tkuma Directorate", in the western occupied al-Naqab, did not include settlements and kibbutzim such as "Mefalsim", "Yakhini", and "Pri Gan" in a rebuilding plan for the Gaza's Envelope settlements.
The "Tkuma Directorate" said it would not include these outposts in its plans since they are located just a few kilometers away from the Gaza Strip, adding that settlers will not be eligible for compensation.
The settlements' leaders expressed their outrage, stating they feel like the Israeli government has abandoned them for the second time; the first being when the occupation military and security apparatuses failed to deal with Resistance fighters who advanced through these settlements on October 7.
The Directorate announced that it would transfer two million shekel (around $500,000) as an initial payment to each settlement in Gaza's Envelope. However, it soon became obvious that not all settlements would be eligible for compensation from the Israeli government.
