Media sources reported that the Israeli government has informed residents in the northern areas along the Lebanese border that their evacuation period will be extended until the end of the year, due to the ongoing attacks by Hezbollah. In recent weeks, Hezbollah has intensified its assaults on border towns in northern Israel, while the "few remaining" residents in the region prepare for an imminent war with the Lebanese group, aiming to "push it away from the border and eliminate its capacity to threaten Israel, or at least significantly reduce it temporarily."
Since October 8, 2023, Israel and Hezbollah have been exchanging fire daily across the border. Last week, Hezbollah launched the "largest barrage of rockets and drones" in the past eight months of hostilities alongside the war in Gaza. The Israeli government has evacuated tens of thousands of settlers from their homes on both sides of the blue line that separates Israel from Lebanon, leaving behind abandoned areas of villages and farms that are subjected to near-daily bombardment.
Only a few residents remain in northern Israel, living amid the gunfire. Last Monday, Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari stated that the safe return of Israelis to their homes in northern Israel is non-negotiable.
