The settlers of Kiryat Shmona will not return even if a ceasefire deal was agreed on with Hezbollah, the mayor of the settlement, Avichai Stern, said on Wednesday. 

In a discussion with Israeli Channel 14, Stern considered that a ceasefire on Hezbollah's side, in the event of a prisoner exchange agreement that would return Israeli captives from Gaza, would hold "disastrous indications".

Stern said that the "October 7 threat to the North is yet to be removed, we are still living the same reality as we had on October 6, but they evacuated us because we were at risk and danger," further asking "What changed since? Did they [Cabinet] do something to remove that threat? The answer is no." 

If an agreement was signed and settlers were instructed to return to Kiryat Shmona, Stern affirmed that no one would return, adding that they would not be the "scapegoat". 

Coined a ghost town, Kiryat Shmona still reeks of a burning odor after it suffered from a large fire that burned through 8,000 dunams of land due to Hezbollah fire. Traffic lights have been shut down to permit settlers to drive fast if they needed to hide from Hezbollah's rockets. 

Around 700 rockets rained on Kiryat Shmona, destroying and damaging at least 1,000 housing units. Almost every complex in the settlement has been abandoned, with plants growing randomly in public spaces, and fish reaching maximum growth because no one goes fishing anymore. 

Fate of the 'ghost town'

In a related context, the Israeli Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) found that Hezbollah's diverse and extensive arsenal can cause "severe damage to Israel".

INSS reported that the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon has fired more than 5,000 projectiles toward Israeli targets since October 8, 2023. This includes high-trajectory shells, such as rocket artillery shells, and direct-fire projectiles, such as anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM), which the Resistance has fired to hit targets with precision. 

These attacks have caused at least 29 Israeli fatalities and considerable damage, according to the report. 

However, INSS focused on the effects that the attacks have caused in settlements and the major city of Kiryat Shmona, pointing to a "growing sense of futility regarding the future of the northern border." This includes 28 settlements and Kiryat Shmona, all of which have been largely evacuated over the period of the ongoing battles. It said that the situation has left settlers "wondering when and under what conditions they will be able" to return to the colonial outposts. 

Read more: Israeli Haaretz raises concerns about Hezbollah's Hoopoe Mission 2