The debate regarding the return of the residents of the northern border to their homes continues, and in internal discussions held mainly among the senior officers, the commander of the 769th Brigade, Col. Avi Marciano, expresses support for the return home of the residents of Kiryat Shmona and nearby settlements that are not exposed to anti-tank fire.
According to him, every day that the residents do not return to their homes sends the enemy a message of abandonment, and as he put it: "The damage outweighs the benefit."
However, while in the army there are more and more voices like that of Brigade 769 - that the brigade under his command is responsible for the ongoing security in the northeastern sector - the heads of the authorities are opposed to returning to their settlements as long as there are no guarantees for their security.
An anti-tank missile hit a house in Moshav Shtula in the Western Galilee (archive), photo: David Cohen-Gini
"If they had taken care of protecting the north properly, one could think of going back," says the mayor of Kiryat Shmona, Avihai Stern, "but as long as the threats remain - we will not return the residents. How can you manage the routine of schools and kindergartens when there is a threat of missiles And firing without warning? If they had invested resources in the defense of the north, that's a different story, but when there are gaps in defense and various threats - how can you even say that?"
"Without referring to the statements of the Brigadier General - our residents should be returned when solutions are found to two problems - one is the anti-tank fire in direct formation, and the other is the infiltration of terrorists. At the moment both issues are not resolved"
In recent days, 120 mm mortar bombs with phosphorus heads, as well as precision anti-tank missiles, have been fired towards the north (in total, anti-tank missiles have so far been fired at 39 of the 42 settlements that were evacuated). About 60,000 residents have been evacuated since then. the beginning of the war, and many others remained in many settlements close to the border, but find it difficult to lead a normal life.
Protest by residents of the north, photo: Eyal Margolin Gini
The head of the Hermon Entrance Council, Benny Ben Mobacher, whose areas Shaar Yishuv and Beit Hillel were evacuated but are not exposed to anti-tank fire, says that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also does not intend to return the residents without full security: "The military is not an authority. I told Netanyahu That we don't return anyone until we have security. He didn't argue. We need full security along the 10 km of the entire border.
Once an evacuation is made - there is no going back.
If someone wants to - let them come back, but it's their decision."
Head of the Upper Galilee Regional Council, Giora Zaltz: "Without addressing the comments of the Brigadier General - our residents should be returned when solutions to two problems are found - one is the anti-tank fire in direct formation, and the other is the infiltration of terrorists. As of now, both issues are not resolved. When this It will happen, I suppose it will be possible to start returning, and it will take up to six months. But only if they deal with it. I would very much like to allow the residents to return."
The Minister of Defense and the commander of Division 91 on a tour of the Lebanese border in the shadow of the war, photo: Ariel Harmoni, Ministry of Defense
The Israel Defense Forces said in response to the publication: "The decision to evacuate residents is made by the political echelon.
There is a continuous assessment of the situation on the issue, while looking at security considerations. The Northern Command maintains continuous contact with the local authorities, with the state authorities and with all the parties to enable functional continuity."
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