A meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and heads of local authorities in northern occupied Palestine was described by Israeli Channel 12 as “stormy”, amid growing anger among settlers over the occupation's handling of the war on Lebanon.

During the meeting, the head of the so-called “Front Line Forum” directly confronted Netanyahu, accusing his government of failing to protect settlers. “Your government deceived us. You promised us protection, but that was just a deception,” he said, adding: “All we can do now is pray that Hezbollah’s missiles don’t fall on our homes.”

A mayor of one of the northern settlements echoed similar frustration, stating: “We are on Hezbollah’s maps, and their missiles are falling on us, but we are not on our country’s maps". 

The remarks reflect growing discontent among settlers who say they feel neglected by Netanyahu's government amid ongoing confrontations with the Lebanese resistance. 

Israeli-occupied North emptied as Hezbollah fire intensifies: Report 

The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon continues to confront the ongoing Israeli aggression, carrying out operations targeting Israeli military sites, bases, and settlements in northern occupied Palestine.

Israeli media reported on Thursday a sharp escalation in rocket fire and drone operations by Hezbollah, prompting thousands of settlers in northern Israeli settlements, from the Upper al-Jalil to the Western al-Jalil, to flee, amid growing distrust in the government and military.

The renewed aggression on Lebanon has triggered what has been termed a “silent migration", with many settlers relocating to hotels in southern areas and around the Dead Sea in search of safety, according to reports by i24 News. The developments have fueled widespread anger and anxiety across the north as security conditions become increasingly volatile and unpredictable.

Field reporting from towns including Kiryat Shmona and Shlomi highlighted mounting frustration among settlers, who say the ongoing attacks contradict official claims that Hezbollah has been weakened and that a repeat of the October 7 scenario is unlikely. Many residents, however, say they no longer find such assurances credible.

Israeli regional chief slams 'Hezbollah is deterred' claim as a lie

Assaf Langelvan, the head of the Upper al-Jalil Regional Council, said that the industrial and business sector in the region “has been shut down and reopened five times,” pointing to what he termed as “deep disappointment".

Langlebn told Israeli Channel 12, “Our feelings are very harsh. We thought we had returned a year ago, specifically during Passover, to normal life, to reconstruction and prosperity, but we have gone back to war.”

He continued, “We returned because we were promised that Hezbollah had been deterred, but we now find ourselves in a very difficult week.”

One settler of Kiryat Shmona described the settlement as a “ghost town", noting that around 20,000 settlers have left since the start of the war, with only about 5,000 remaining following the latest escalation. Another resident said air raid sirens often sound only after rockets or drones have already struck, leaving civilians exposed to significant danger.

Local officials have also issued unusually sharp criticism of the government. The head of the Margaliot settlement council (or committee) in northern "Israel" broke down during a televised interview, accusing authorities of “fighting the residents of the north instead of confronting Hezbollah". 

Source:Websites