Northern Israeli settlers tired of living on edge: Settlement chief
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The head of the Israeli Margaliot settlement expresses dismay at the government's lack of action regarding northern Israeli settlers.
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An empty street in Kiryat Shmona, a city located next to the border with Lebanon, northern occupied Palestine, Thursday, August 29, 2024 (AP)
Israeli Channel 14 reported growing frustration among settlers in northern occupied Palestine over prolonged evacuations from their settlements.
Eitan David, head of the Margaliot settlement committee, expressed anger at the continued displacement, stating, "Waiting with bags packed for weeks or months is exhausting and demoralizing due to the uncertainty."
Channel 14 presenter Shai Golden criticized the Israeli regime, urging leaders to address the situation, as the region remains paralyzed without schools, jobs, or homes. Meanwhile, Israeli opposition top figure Benny Gantz criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for neglecting the north.
The former head of the Israeli military Operations Division, Major General (Res.) Israel Ziv said Hezbollah was undeterred and its most significant achievement has been the near year-long paralysis of "Israel".
In an interview with the Israeli Channel 12, Ziv said, “We are approaching a full year of war with Hamas, yet we remain unable to decisively win the battle, even though Hamas is a weaker adversary compared to Hezbollah.”
He further noted that while "Israel" has achieved some tactical successes, these have yet to translate into strategic ones.
The Israeli Major General (Res.) also noted that "Israel" remains under the Iranian threat.
Ziv suggested that the key to a resolution lies in completing a ceasefire deal in the Gaza Strip through negotiations in Cairo. He pointed out that by agreeing to halt the war on Gaza and establishing conditions that ensure stability in the North along the border with Lebanon amid escalations with Hezbollah, this agreement could potentially ease tensions with Iran.
Meanwhile, Yedioth Ahronoth journalist Nahum Barnea highlighted the "profound void" felt by settlers in the North, pointing to a lack of government leadership and describing the situation as "deeply frustrating".
Since the launch of the war on Gaza in October, Hezbollah directly announced joining the battle in support of Gaza and commenced operations targeting Israeli military positions and northern settlements, conditioning the end of attacks to the cease of the aggression on the Strip.
The Resistance's operations resulted in the evacuation of tens of thousands of Israelis from northern occupied Palestine, which also resulted in the halting of their businesses, which primarily serve as the occupation entity's main poultry and agricultural production regions, subsequently impacting "Israel's" economy and food security.
Additionally, the Israeli occupation government was forced to provide monthly payments to evacuated settlers, putting more pressure on the already stagnated economy.
