Foreign Minister Eli Cohen's reception on Wednesday, along with more than ten ambassadors of foreign countries, reflects the state of war in the north. Eighteen rockets were fired at the Rosh Haniqra area, we could see the interceptions on the drive, and when we reached Shlomi, representatives of the IDF and the municipality were already rushing the ambassadors and the minister to the shelter.
The planned observation was held in the safe room, with the goal set by the foreign minister to present the ambassadors with two options for ending the state of war in the region: a diplomatic solution and distancing Hezbollah from the border, or war. The mayors I met afterwards demanded war and the removal of the threat so that their residents would return.
Minister Cohen conveyed a clear message during the visit to Shlomi, the town from which 9,000 residents were evacuated, and with the border line where Hezbollah terrorists stand behind him: "Nasrallah must understand that he is next. If he doesn't want to, he must push Hezbollah north of the Litani. We are working to exhaust the diplomatic option, but if it does not work, all options are open in order to return our residents safely to their homes."
During the review of the northern sector, photo: Shirit Avitan Cohen
Mayors want a military solution
"The ambassadors saw behind us the border in Lebanon, the houses that stand less than 100 meters away, and received a security review," Cohen said. There are only two options - either a political solution or military action. What was before the seventh of October will not return. It is not for nothing that we are deployed here for both defense and military activity, as long as necessary. We will give a certain period of time to the political solution, and if it does not exist, all options are on the table."
Despite the desire to promote a diplomatic solution, the heads of municipalities in the north demand a certain, military solution, and fear a situation in which the residents will not return if their safety is not guaranteed. Shlomi Mayor Gabi Naaman told Israel Hayom that "the war has not yet begun and we expect it to begin so that we can return to our homes safely. I am in favor of attacking Hezbollah, as they are doing in the south. There is no other solution. We must take military action and crush them – otherwise what happened in Gaza will happen here. They will slaughter us."
Naaman's fear is understandable when one of the military personnel surveys the area to the ambassadors. A new neighborhood being built in the city is just a few meters from the border, or as he explained it to the ambassadors: "3 minutes away by running and the terrorists are in my peace."
IDF attacks in southern Lebanon after Shlomi was shot, photo: IDF Spokesperson
Naaman testifies to the city, which is directly threatened by anti-tank missiles: "We don't have the area to protect our civilians from the international border, sometimes it's only a few meters. We lived under a very big illusion that the concrete wall is a security that Hezbollah is deterred by, like the perception in the south – and what happened there turned us into people who don't believe in anything, only in eradicating Hezbollah from the ground up."
"Fighting Iran"
Shlomi's assistant security officer, Shaul Lugasi, told Israel Hayom that there are about 600 elderly people left in the city for whom the municipality provides food and assistance. His own family has left, but he stays in town and travels on Saturdays. "No one will come back here in this situation. My daughter is married, doesn't want to go back, is looking for a home in Nahariya. My wife wants to return to her childhood city of Tiberias. I was born here 60 years ago, and I won't leave."
In a closed briefing to the ambassadors, the foreign minister said: "We are not fighting Hamas, but Iran. All these proxies are proxies of Iran, aimed at escalating the situation in the region. Some of my colleagues in Lebanon are sending messages that they don't want war in Lebanon, but they can't influence Hezbollah, which may be located in Lebanon but receives instructions from Iran.
They are fighting Iran, not just Hamas. Iranian flag during military exercise (archive), photo: Reuters
"People in Israel are less afraid of rockets already, they are afraid of terrorists breaking through from the border. And Hezbollah's forces are significantly larger than Hamas in numbers and capabilities. We need to give our residents all the security to return to their homes. Our goal now is to resolve this diplomatically – and if it doesn't work in the near term, there will be a military operation."
Later, the ambassadors went to meet with the heads of the confrontation line authorities in Kfar Vradim. The heads of the Druze authorities on the border sought to back the State of Israel in the just war against Hamas. Among other things, Kasra Mayor Samia said: "Israel can be an example of integration between all populations. I served 35 years in the security forces and I am disappointed in world leaders who are not doing anything to bring back the abductees and ensure the security of the Jewish state." Similarly, the heads of the Druze municipalities whose residents were evacuated said that they were asking the ambassadors to protect the country and the ability to live here in peace.
Moshe Davidovitch, Photo: Eyal Margolin - Ginny
Moshe Davidovitch, chairman of the communities on the conflict line, responded to Israel Hayom's question about Hezbollah's removal from the border: "What the residents tell me is that the October 7th is a fault line that cannot be repaired except with certainty. There is no belief that anyone will restore their confidence. We will become Judea and Samaria against our will, surround us with full force and one day dilute them again - and the butcher will slaughter, the world as usual. They are the most dangerous – Satan's agents from Iran, professional and strong – and our captains are afraid. I was educated that the country is the lion in the jungle and now it may be the lion's tail."
"Bring back Rumi and all the hostages"
Eitan, father of abducted Romi Gonen, a resident of Kfar Vradim, also participated in the meeting. He said of his daughter, who has been in captivity for more than 80 days: "She didn't do anything wrong to anyone, a professional dancer. She and her good friend Gaia went to the Nova Festival. We woke up on Black Saturday at <>:<> and she told me on the phone: "Dad, I was shot." I didn't know what to say and asked: "Where are you, how did you get shot at the festival?" – she told me that missiles were being fired at them and she asked me what to do.
Romi Gonen. Everyone is hoping for good news, Photo: Private
"I asked her to run with her friend to Bari so that she would be protected by Iron Dome. For four and a half hours we were on the phone with her, terrified. You hear horrific screams. She hid in the bushes and we could hear the gunshots. I heard my daughter screaming and she told us she was going to die. Ben Shimoni came to rescue them, reached the bush where Gaia and Rumi were hiding, and got into his car. Five minutes later, the terrorists caught them and we heard everything. The driver, Ben and Gaia, were killed instantly, and my daughter was shot in the hand.
"The next thing we heard was someone speaking Arabic, they said, 'She's alive, let's take her.' Three weeks ago, they removed from Gaza the body of the abductee who was with her, Ofir Sarfati. Abductees who returned said she was severely injured in a malfunctioning hand. I expect you ambassadors to think of Rumi as your child, she didn't do anything to anyone. I ask that you do everything possible to bring back Rumi and all the abductees."
Wrong? We'll fix it! If you find a mistake in the article, please share with us