Voices From Israel’s North: Border Residents Show Resilience Amid Conflict
Northern Israel’s residents share harrowing accounts of life under constant rocket fire from Hezbollah. Many have fled, while those who remain face destruction, fear, and uncertainty amid escalating violence along the border.
By Giorgia Valente / The Media Line
Northern Israel, particularly areas near the Lebanese border, has been heavily impacted by the ongoing conflict with Hezbollah since October 2023. Communities like Metulla, Nahariya, and the Galilee region have endured relentless rocket attacks and escalating hostilities.
Over 12,400 rockets have been launched from southern Lebanon, targeting civilian areas and causing widespread devastation. The situation has displaced thousands, strained local infrastructure, and left towns resembling ghost communities, with only a handful of residents staying behind.
Metulla
Metulla, Israel’s northernmost town, has borne the brunt of intense rocket and missile fire since hostilities escalated in October 2023 due to its proximity to Lebanon. On October 31, 2024, officials reported that 90 projectiles were fired into Israel. Several landed in Metulla, killing five people, including foreign workers and an Israeli farmer.
“I am the third generation staying in Metulla, and like my grandfather during past conflicts, I will stay here as well,” Lior Bez, a farmer, tour organizer, and former bed-and-breakfast owner, told The Media Line. He noted that Metulla now resembles a ghost town, with only six residents remaining, mostly farmers and soldiers. Daily rocket attacks have made even routine tasks like grocery shopping perilous.
“We either must go to Kiryat Shmona to a tiny supermarket or drive 30 minutes to Rosh Pina because there is nothing in our city. You just wish to make it out alive each time.”
Bez reflected on the economic and psychological toll. “Many have lost hope and claim they’ll never return. But I’m hopeful this collective sacrifice will eventually restore normality,” he said, adding that his childhood memories of peaceful coexistence with Lebanese neighbors fuel his optimism.
Rocket attacks in the area have continued, with over 100 projectiles per day reported on multiple occasions in early November 2024. On Sunday, Hezbollah’s Al Manar channel reported that around 60 rockets were launched at Metulla and other parts of northern Israel by the Iran-backed terror group.
Bez explained the difficult situation of the border communities in the north, which have not only been under barrages of rockets daily for more than a year but also faced internal displacements and overall destruction.
He noted that his tourist business has shut down since the breakout of the conflict due to a lack of foreign tourism and internal stability. He has been in reserve duty since then, and the good memories of his childhood make him hope for a different scenario in the future.
“We have been facing psychological and economic losses, but we have no choice but to remove a threat from our borders. I remember when I was a child, before the 2000s, we had a beautiful relationship with all the Lebanese villages next to us. They used to come and visit us. We need to restore this, but Hezbollah is jeopardizing this chance. This is a common threat to both us and the Lebanese people,” he said.
“Many people I know coming from our area have lost hope and claim they will never return home. They have been living in hotels for more than a year, how can you blame them? How can you raise children in this environment? I’m hopeful that this collective sacrifice will eventually bring us back to normality,” he concluded.
Nahariya
Nahariya, a coastal city in northern Israel, has been another frequent target of Hezbollah’s ongoing attacks. The Alma Research Center reported that Nahariya has been deeply under attack over the current month compared to the beginning of the hostilities.
“It has been a nightmare the last month,” Shany Ben David, a Bible studies teacher in the Alliance High School in Haifa, told The Media Line. “Even driving to get to work from Nahariya to Haifa and the way back is a challenge now.”
On November 12, 2024, two people were killed, and at least two others were injured in a direct rocket strike on a building in Nahariya. A subsequent attack caused a fire in an industrial building. Later, on November 21, 2024, one civilian was killed, and two were injured when a rocket hit a playground.
“I am living with PTSD, and every sound shocks me,” Ben David said. “Seeing my city has been so devasted and its people under shock kills me.”
“I knew one of the people who died from a recent attack,” she added. “Everything happened so fast in the past two weeks. All the businesses and activities have stopped working like usual, but we can’t just leave everything behind. We have a house, family, friends, work, everything here, but it is terrible. I feel lucky to be still alive, given the circumstances.”
Ben David recalled being recently in Tel Aviv for her birthday and noticed the difference between her hometown and the country’s center.
“I felt I was abroad. All the people were outside, and all the restaurants and cafes were open. It felt weird after seeing misery and destruction in Nahariya, taking the car and being a couple of hours in a completely different reality. We are living this war with a different intensity for sure,” she addressed.
Being a teacher in a school made her realize the impact of this conflict on children, especially those living in the north.
“There is a clear polarization between my students now. You have those who criticize the government and the ongoing effects of the war and claim they won’t be part of this in the future, and those who say that they will protect the country at any cost. This reflects the problems of our society. We need this all to stop. Hopefully, Trump may bring back tranquility in the region,” she concluded.
The Druze of the Galilee
According to Israeli officials, since October 2024, Hezbollah has launched significant rocket barrages into northern Israel, affecting Druze communities in the Galilee, including Maghar and Kfar Zeitim.
“Despite our different geographical disposition within the country, the Druze community is very tight and concerned for everyone,” Col. (res.) Hamada Ganim, former Commander of the Northern Brigade in the Gaza Strip and resident of the city of Maghar in the Galilee, told The Media Line.
“We, as Druze living in the Carmel area, felt shock and disbelief when young children were brutally murdered this summer,” he continued, referring to a Hezbollah attack in Majdal Shams in July 2024, which killed 12 children playing in a soccer field.
“We also experienced losses in the military, with 12 commanders and soldiers killed in the field. Since the beginning summing together both civil and military losses, we have reached 27 people who passed away from our community.”
In total, more than 1,600 rockets have been launched from southern Lebanon, with large barrages including over 200 rockets fired in some instances. In Maghar, as part of the broader Galilee area, residents have faced significant damage from these attacks, including the destruction of homes and agricultural fields.
Col. Ganim noted that most Druze in the Galilee serve in the army and remain loyal to Israel. However, the ongoing hostilities have fostered deep uncertainty about the future within the community.
“Aside from those who have been lost, those who have remained are living under trauma and fear. These areas also used to be touristic, and the economic impact has been harsh. Like any other north resident, the Druze also need support and must find their peace again,” he commented.
On October 25, 2024, Hezbollah launched multiple rockets into the Galilee, causing damage to homes and injuring civilians. One particularly severe attack on Kfar Zeitim near Tiberias injured a 28-year-old farmer with shrapnel, though his life was not in danger.
In total, more than 125 rockets were launched in a concentrated assault on October 26, 2024, sparking fires and damaging infrastructure across the northern region, including the Galilee.
“Druze aim for peace and the end of the war,” Ganim concluded. “Each one of them wants to go back to a normal life without living under threat constantly. Like all citizens of the north, we will be part of the process of building everything back for the sake of our community and the country.”
Tiberias
According to Israeli officials, since the onset of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel in October 2023, the city of Tiberias and other northern Israeli regions, including the Galilee, have been heavily impacted by rocket fire. Hezbollah’s forces have launched over 12,400 rockets towards Israel during the conflict, with Tiberias being a frequent target.
On November 24, 2024, over 250 rockets were fired at northern and central Israeli towns, including Tiberias, as part of a continued assault by Hezbollah.
Since the war began, approximately 30,000 displaced people have sought refuge in hotels nationwide, with many concentrated in Tiberias following intensified hostilities. Families fleeing northern towns like Kiryat Shmona have found shelter in local hotels, with reports of crowded conditions, including several family members sharing rooms.
“As a hotel manager in Tiberias, I can say that we are not living any more from tourism as it used to be, but we mainly offer help and support to those displaced families from the northern parts of the country. Most of them are families that have left everything behind, and it is not easy for me to see this suffering daily, but we hope this will soon be over for them,” Eran Ohayon, a hotel manager in Tiberias, told The Media Line.
Despite being further from the border, these families still live under rockets in and out, but Ohayon pointed out that this is necessary to stop Hezbollah in the future.
“As a resident as well, I know that sirens can be heard sometimes during the day, but luckily, the area we are in hasn’t been damaged as others surrounding us. This is war, and it is the only way to eliminate an enemy and later be able to bring everyone home,” he concluded.
Haifa
Haifa, a major mixed city in northern Israel, has faced repeated rocket attacks since the conflict with Hezbollah began in October 2023. Israeli officials report that Hezbollah has launched significant barrages at Haifa as part of its broader offensive in the north.
On October 8, 2024, several rockets struck Haifa, damaging residential areas, igniting fires, and injuring civilians, including a teenager hit by shrapnel.
On November 11, 2024, an intense barrage hit the Haifa area, damaging buildings and infrastructure, including in the suburb Kiryat Ata. While the Iron Dome intercepted some rockets, the strikes injured several people, including a 17-year-old boy hit by flying glass.
Many evacuees from northern communities have relocated to Haifa, staying in hotels such as the Dan Panorama and Leonardo Plaza. The Haifa City Education Department has been assisting displaced students and families, while some evacuees have sought longer-term housing with government rent support.
“Yesterday was the third time we have had a major hit in our city. The first one was in the western part of Haifa, and the missiles hit a roundabout circle in the middle of the night. We rushed to the place, and by the next morning, the area looked as if nothing had happened,” said Gil Meller, deputy spokesman at Haifa Municipality, to The Media Line.
“The second one hit the Carmel Center, targeting a synagogue and residential buildings. We offered affected residents hotel stays until the electricity was restored, and we set up a front office with social workers and psychologists to assist. Yesterday, it hit two main buildings on the Carmel. One was severely damaged. Residents were evacuated to hotels, and engineers and social workers have been working with them,” he added.
Meller noted that of Haifa’s 20 registered hotels, most remain closed and are unlikely to reopen after the war. While some hotels hosted displaced families with government support, most evacuees have since returned home, leaving only a few hundred still in Haifa.
“The general morale is quite low. People change their routines and think twice before going out, even to malls, because they’re afraid a siren might catch them on the way,” Meller stated.
“Most of our hotels, businesses, and general activities have shut down, and both Jews and Arabs have been impacted equally by the lack of tourism and the war getting worse the past weeks,” he added.
Despite ongoing alerts, Meller noted that children still attend school and residents have been diligent in following security instructions from the home front command. He expressed hope for normal Hanukkah and Christmas celebrations this year.
“I wish an agreement will be reached soon to celebrate together Hannukah and Christmas this year and bring peace for the peace. These events attract tens of thousands of people, mostly internal tourists, which would help local businesses—restaurants, cafes, and hotels. Hopefully, better days are ahead”, he concluded.
The Media Line also spoke with Boaz Shapira, a researcher at the Alma Center and resident of the Golan Heights, who gave an overview of the conflict and the current situation.
“We are still seeing, despite the ground operation, ongoing rockets coming into Israel territory, especially in the last month. This is because Hezbollah still has rockets and missiles—some estimate about 20% of their original stockpile, which is still around 50,000,” Shapira told The Media Line.
Shapira added that the ground operation aims to destroy tunnels and confiscate Hezbollah’s weapons, though it cannot fully stop attacks from Lebanon.
“Even if Israel manages to defeat Hezbollah in the southern part, they may always find a place to shoot from Lebanon, so it will never end officially, but the threat will clearly diminish, and this will guarantee us quiet. We have interesting weeks ahead, where a cease-fire may be reached, or the conflict will keep going as it is until Trump takes the lead in January,” he explained.
“Lebanese politicians are now openly criticizing Hezbollah—a scenario unimaginable just two months ago. So, changes are happening for sure. But given that the north has been under fire for more than a year, if we remain in the same situation one year from now, we may face a big problem. We need to prevent Hezbollah from regaining power after its leadership has been targeted. Right now, they are presenting some kind of victory image. They’re saying, ‘We didn’t fail; we are still shooting no matter what you do,’ but they are weaker than ever,” concluded Shapira.
PHOTO – Damage to a private home in Metulla, northern Israel (Courtesy Lior Bez)
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