74 % of the Israeli Israelis return to the north, but the successful successful cities remain empty

Part of the increase is the Israeli Defense Army after Hezbollah in the range since the ceasefire in November 2024, with the lack of Hezbollah forces in southern Lebanon and missiles have not been launched in Israel since December.

The Israeli Defense Army said that 74 % of the Israelis returned to Northern border cities Of the 60,000-80,000 who were evacuated at the height of the war.

This is a significant increase for a few months, when the numbers were still closer to 30-40 %.

It seems that part of the increase is that its Israeli defense army Hezbollah In the range since the ceasefire in November 2024, with the absence of Hezbollah forces in southern Lebanon, there have been no missiles on Israel since December 2024.

In addition, the families that were evacuated to areas in central Israel were waiting for the school year to end until they are now ending to the north before the start of the next academic year on September 1.

Despite the positive news, the return is very uneven.

In some societies such as shlomi, the rate of return is about 100 %.

On the contrary, in some places such as Metula, which Hezbollah has dramatically, the rate of return is still low up to 30 %.

There is also alive inManara This was completely destroyed, and there was no movement to rebuild it due to a mixture of local factors.

Moreover, while the Ministry of Defense has started a boost to add and restore safe rooms and grenade shelters to the northern population, it still has slow and speedy step so far.

In February, R.It is the Jerusalem Post He visited various sites near the border with Lebanon, including Metula, Kiryat Shmeona and KFAR Gilaadi, in order to see and hear from the northern soldiers and population how their lives have improved since November 27, and whether they still feel safe after IDF withdrawal.

at that time , Kiryat Shona “We will not need any of these outposts if the Israeli Defense Army gets rid of Hezbollah,” Doron Schneber spokesman told the Post.

He said: “We feel that this is a historical mistake and that there will be a cry of generations because Israel can change the reality on the northern border, and with more design it can prevent future wars and ensure peace by cleaning lands” from Hezbollah.

“This is not only in our interest, but in the interest of the Lebanese people. Elsewhere else was a terrorist organization to oppress a country, and the world has been calm. The Lebanese support the Israeli Defense Army more than some Israelis.

However, later, many northern officials of the Israeli Defense Army praised that they were aggressive against Hezbollah since the ceasefire, even if Hezbollah did not completely come out with a longer land invasion as they originally wished.

In February, security sources spoke to The Post about Metula, noting that although the eastern side of the city is better protected on IDF, the western side of the sprawling city has no protection from the settlement focus.

In addition, some soldiers indicated that there could be additional settlement sites, some with super points of any possible Lebanese approaches towards Metula, but some of this veto was used to avoid friction with the Lebanese villagers, given that they were closer to the villages.

On the other hand, the soldiers and other sources said that the five positions chosen achieved a balance between giving Israel some advantages of early warnings of any possible invasion, while they were at a distance from the villages to reduce friction.

The sources of the Israeli Defense Army responded that the five settlement outposts did not give up Israeli security and grant the Israel Defense Army “operational superiority” in a number of areas, both in terms of intelligence and prevention of invasions.

In February, security sources from Metula said that they felt less safe after the Israeli Defense Army withdrew from southern Lebanon, but they also felt safer by October 7, 2023, because there were three times the number of soldiers who were protecting them, and their presence was clearly perceived.

Residents who have not yet returned to do so may refrain from protesting that Hezbollah has not been removed from its weapon or that the Israeli Defense Army has not kept a larger security environment in southern Lebanon.

Others do not return because they are afraid that even if the five outposts and a larger number of forces on the border provide security against the weak Hezbollah, it is in three or five years, Hezbollah will lead to return, and Israel and Israel will lose their focus on keeping security strong.

Those with whom the interviews were conducted in Kiryat Shonah, Metula, and Kfar Giladi said that large parts of the general infrastructure and services, not to mention schools, were not simply ready to re -absorb a large number of residents returning on March 2, when many benefits ended.

In Metula, some houses continue, and it may take some years to fix it.

The post returned in February to visit The Metula House of Zami Ravid, who witnessed multiple strikes after she lived in Metula for more than 50 years (he visited the end of the house in early December 2024)

The second floor of the house was often destroyed and caused the house to collapse on large parts of the first floor.

Several other houses were struck in the same street in the same barrage.

In February, there was no progress in rebuilding any of the destroyed houses noticed by The Post, which the sources said were due to the delays caused by the general competitive bids of developers and the delay in financing.

In some cases, the interviews at Kirit Shona, Metula, and Kfar Gilly also said that in some cases, up to 40 % of the population may never return due to the shock of missile attacks, the new fear of the invasion that broke out after October 7, and the simple traffic for approximately 17 months in new places with a new life.

The government will need to provide financial incentives to attract new families

Multiple sources said that the government will need to provide financial incentives to attract new families to the north to replace many former populations who will not return.

In addition, KFAR Giladi said that some residents will not return because the government has responded to the price of safe rooms. Originally, she said that Kfar Giladi is the guaranteed of full financial payment to pay the price of safe rooms because it is only one kilometer from the border.

However, she later said that the village was told that due to the lack of budget, the government will cover only the cost of the safe room, leaving the villagers to cover between 20,000-70,000 Newton-something that many people cannot bear.