Some people in Israel who have been displaced by fighting with Lebanese Hezbollah say the ceasefire deal doesn’t make them feel secure enough to go home.
Some 50,000 people have been displaced from a string of cities, towns and villages along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon. Those communities have been pummeled by Hezbollah rocket and drone fire for 13 months, with dozens of houses damaged and in need of rebuilding or rehabilitation.
Noy Friedman, who was displaced from the town of Shlomi to the city of Haifa, said she wouldn’t feel safe in her hometown.
“I am also not ready for my family to return to Shlomi,” said Friedman.
Many displaced Israelis have been living in hotels since the fighting began in Oct. 2023 or have tried to reestablish their lives in new areas far from the fighting.
Returning could take months because of the damage caused to the communities, but also because of the fears many of the displaced still feel.
On a cold, rainy Wednesday morning, the hard-hit Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona was quiet. A handful of people milled about, inspecting damage from rocket attacks, including to the roof of a bus.