As Lebanese citizens steadily return to their southern villages and towns, reaching the border with occupied Palestine following the recent ceasefire agreement, Israeli settlers in the northern region express fear and frustration about resettling in their communities.

Israeli broadcaster Kan reported that while Lebanese returnees celebrated with Hezbollah flags, residents of Avivim and Shlomi remained reluctant to return due to ongoing fears.

A settler in Avivim, speaking to Kan, expressed his apprehension, "We will not return. Why should we, when they (the Lebanese) have already started coming back?"

The report also highlighted the stark contrast between the celebratory gunfire heard from the returning Lebanese and the somber mood in Avivim, where "there is no joy, nothing."

Similarly, a Shlomi settler stated, "No one has come back to Shlomi. Everyone is scared, and nothing motivates them to return. I can speak for many here—people are economically devastated."

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 for RIA Novosti on Friday.

"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.

"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," Karachun stressed.

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.

Extensive damage with at least 2,874 direct hits across north 'Israel'

Israeli media confirmed that the extent of the damage caused by Hezbollah's operations over the past months is becoming clearer as some settlers return to the north, where frustration prevails among local authorities and residents.

In this context, Israeli Channel 12 reported data from the Ministry of Security, revealing 2,874 direct hits by Hezbollah fire in settlements along the "frontline with Lebanon," stretching from Kiryat Shmona in the al-Jalil Panhandle to Rosh Hanikra in western al-Jalil.

The occupation's Property Tax Authority recorded damage to 9,000 buildings and over 7,000 vehicles, all completely destroyed by Hezbollah fire in northern Israeli-occupied settlements.

However, these figures exclude many unreported damages in the north due to settler displacement or because some affected areas remain off-limits by order of the Israeli occupation forces.

In the same context, Channel 12 highlighted the "severe frustration among Israelis and local authorities in the north," noting the lack of an organized plan for the return of settlers.

Hedar Getsis, Channel 12’s northern correspondent, emphasized the existence of "significant gaps in fortifications."

Getsis added that the government has provided no support for the north or its future, stating that "no decision has been made about what will happen after" the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and the Israeli occupation.

He explained that "no budget has been approved for frontline settlements," where basic facilities like schools remain unprepared, adding that "there will be no schooling tomorrow in all these settlements and in the Golan Heights."

In Nahariya and settlements in western and upper al-Jalil, close to the border, which were not entirely evacuated, there is an "intolerable routine, with business owners crying out daily that they will shut down."