Evacuated residents of northern Israel step up their protest, call for war as Hezbollah attacks continue unabated

Residents say ultimatum to government expired, will now increase protests

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Residents of northern Israel, many of whom have been evacuated for over 10 months due to Hezbollah’s attacks, announced they will escalate their protests, demanding the government take decisive action to allow their return home soon.

On Thursday, the ultimatum set one month ago by the "Fighting for the North" protest movement expired, triggering “extraordinary actions,” according to the group.

The protest’s message is: “It’s time for a preventive war that will lead to long-term victory.”

A convoy of about 250 cars set out for the northern part of the country from Jerusalem, where many of the residents have been staying in hotels at the government’s expense for the past months.

Many were especially disappointed last month when Israeli Education Minister Yoav Kisch confirmed the fears that the displaced residents would not be able to return home in time for their children to start the next school year.

Several highways are expected to be blocked by the protest convoy and its supporters, who are expected to join on its way north on Thursday.

Kisch told Radio 103FM on Thursday, “The State of Israel has an interest in reaching a decision in the north, either through an agreement or through war, in any case, we can’t wait any longer.”

Despite ongoing diplomatic efforts, including U.S. special envoy Amos Hochstein’s visit to Lebanon on Wednesday, the crisis in the north does not appear to nearing an end.

Following Hochstein’s visit, Hezbollah deputy leader Naim Qassem called it “a show” put on by the United States. He reiterated the terror group would respond to the assassination of its military chief Fuad Shukr two weeks ago, which is expected to be followed by a significant Iranian response and feared to kick off a regional war.

Hezbollah continued shooting rockets and drones at Israeli targets on Thursday. A drone exploded in an open area near Arab al-Aramsheh and another drone was shot down over the Golan Heights.

A barrage of around 20 rockets was fired toward the area of Kiryat Shmona in northern Israel. On Wednesday night, a smaller volley of five rockets was fired at the same area, with two hitting buildings in the city. No casualties were reported.

“There is no 100% interception system. There are topography problems in the north,” said the head of the Upper Galilee Regional Council, Giora Zaltz.

He told Ynet News: “As soon as there is a mountain that separates the location of the launcher from the target location of the rocket, there are limitations of detection and interception.”

Using the rocket type that killed 12 children in Majdal Shams as an example, Zaltz explained, “This is a missile that has neither a fully steep nor a fully flat trajectory. Rather, it is a mid-range missile that does not rise to a high altitude above the ground and is fired at short ranges, so the difficulty of locating and intercepting it is a challenge.”

Ynet also reported that the Israeli Air Force (IAF) has been focused on reducing Hezbollah’s rocket stockpiles with recent airstrikes.

The IAF struck a weapons storage facility in Kafr Kila, causing a large secondary explosion. Lebanese media speculated that a new type of ordnance had been used before the IDF stated that a rocket warehouse had been struck, resulting in the large blast.