The situation referred to as a “ceasefire” with Lebanon is periodically extended and allows daily life in most parts of the country, but in the Galilee alarms over rocket fire and aerial infiltrations continue to sound, while IDF troops are still dealing with Hezbollah’s drone threat. As a result, even the long Shavuot holiday weekend, which under normal circumstances would bring tens of thousands of hikers to the Galilee, was marked by a wartime atmosphere, with sirens in communities near the border, explosions from IDF activity in Lebanon and the constant noise of aircraft overhead.
On Thursday, around 10 explosive drones were launched toward Israeli territory, and another one was launched on Saturday morning that triggered an alert in Kiryat Shmona. So far, contact was lost with two of the drones before they crossed into Israel, two were intercepted and the rest fell in the border area inside Israeli territory.
“Is this a ceasefire? It’s nonstop fire,” said Gal Levansa, a resident of Kfar Blum. “It’s insane what we’re going through. Helicopters overhead all the time, alarms in the area, it’s an ongoing nightmare.”
Israel and Lebanon are holding talks mediated by the United States, which for now prevent the IDF from expanding operations in Lebanon, currently focused on destroying terrorist infrastructure in the south of the country. However, the IDF says that if an operational opportunity arises, the air force will also act in Beirut. Hezbollah, for its part, is also refraining from launching rockets and UAVs beyond the border communities, and the result is that many residents in the area once again feel their security has been abandoned.
Levansa said she understands the need to act against the Lebanese terror organization but doubts the current approach will bring the required results of calm in the north. “Go into war properly, or don’t have a war at all,” she said.
Nira Biton, who came to stay at a guesthouse in Safed, said: “We came on vacation and now we understand how bad and different the situation in the north is from what is being presented. There are alarms, helicopters in the air and a feeling of pressure that something could happen at any moment.”
Biton added that she was surprised by how strongly the sounds of war are still heard in the area. “The north is burning,” she concluded. “And they keep saying we are in a ceasefire. It’s just insane.”
There were 11 alerts since Thursday: on Thursday at 13:18, an alert was activated for an aerial infiltration in Misgav Am in the Upper Galilee. Later, at 19:44, another alert was activated in Manara and Kiryat Shmona. On Friday, Shavuot, at 07:51 an alert was activated for an aerial infiltration in Rosh Hanikra in the Mateh Asher Regional Council. At 08:53 another alert was activated in Rosh Hanikra. At 14:44 an alert sounded in Netu’a and Zar’it in the Ma’ale Yosef Regional Council.
At 15:07 an alert was activated in Shtula in the Ma’ale Yosef Regional Council. At 16:51 an alert was activated in Misgav Am in the Upper Galilee. At 17:07 an alert was activated in Margaliot and Misgav Am, continuing intermittently until 17:21. At the same time, at 17:08 an alert was activated for rocket and missile fire (Red Alert) in Margaliot in the Mevo’ot HaHermon Regional Council. At 17:46 an alert was activated for an aerial infiltration in Zari’it in the Ma’ale Yosef Regional Council.
On Saturday morning at 08:34, an alert was activated for an aerial infiltration in Kiryat Shmona.