Hizbullah flags are back

VIDEO - Back to the good ol' days? Both sides of the northern border appear to have reverted almost entirely back to routine pre-war realities – including the presence of Hizbullah supporters waving the organization's flags right in front Metula residents. Starting Wednesday, residents of the northern town have been seeing Hassan Nasrallah photos and Hizbullah flags right across the border. On Thursday, Hizbullah members joined the party, driving along the fence and flashing "V" for victory. Hizbullah flags have been posted on balconies and at central locations near the border. Metula resident Lior Weinberg told Ynet: "My home is 40 meters (about 120 feet) from the border fence and I can clearly notice vehicles making their way to the villages packed with men, women and children. Some of them are honking and others are flashing "V" for victory." "It doesn't look like a provocation, but it takes us back to the days before the war," Weinberg said. "The only difference for now is the absence of Hizbullah positions that dominated northern border communities, but still, seeing such sights dozens of meters from your home is not easy. In any case, we're strong." Metula resident Sarit Dabush says she feels as though nothing has changed despite the war. "It's as if everything went back to what it was 35 days ago. Large groups of Shiite villagers are coming back home, most of them Hizbullah terrorists. So their weapons are not drawn and aimed at us, but they're well hidden," she said. "Among residents there's a sense that it's only a matter of time before we face more fighting, but I hope this time our response would be more crushing, as it should have been to begin with." "In fact, Hizbullah men returned to the same place, to the same positions, and to the same homes. For now they're not provoking, but they're making their presence known," she said. "From my home I can clearly see both Hizbullah members and IDF forces still operating in Lebanon. I'm sure that once our last forces withdraw, the provocations will return." "I expected the government to end it once and for all and we prepared for a long stay away form the community or at protected venues," she said. "To our disappointment, what happened before will continue to happen." Local resident: We trust IDF Meanwhile, many Metula residents say that unarmed Hizbullah supporters approach the border fence and examine the Israeli side. Security authorities maintain constant contacts with community leaders and update them on any development. However, some locals are indifferent to the old-new sights. Miriam Hod, for example, said that "even before the war we clearly noticed Hizbullah members making sure to get new Nasrallah's photos, which were worn out by the sun, every month and waving them in our direction." "However, we're sure the IDF will know how to protect us and prevent any harm to the many residents and guests that are filling up Metula and other communities in the north," she said.

Hizbullah flags are back

(VIDEO) Border town residents again see Lebanese neighbors waving Nasrallah photos