Time moves very slowly in Netanya. Next to the sea, 30 kilometers north of Tel Aviv, a huge hotel in the city has been hosting fifty families from Kiryat Shmona for more than a year, a city located in the far north of Israel, in the “finger of Galilee.” . which borders the border with Lebanon. After the massacre of October 7, 2023 committed by Hamas commandos in the south of Hebrew territory, Hezbollah rockets began to fall on the north. Nearly 23,000 residents of Kiryat Shmona, out of an estimated population of 25,000, left.
Children go to neighboring schools, parents telework, but idleness is palpable. “I haven’t seen my house in more than a year.”laments Lelach, 35, an accountant in the army and mother of a 7-year-old girl (like all the women mentioned, she only wants to give her name). “Look how the vegetation has grown, I no longer recognize mine.”said Ya’ara, showing on his smartphone the images captured by the surveillance cameras of his house, located in the village of Sivan, just 1 kilometer from the Lebanese border.
“We support Bibi”
The long beach of Netanya, which stretches across the road, does not attract anyone. In small groups, the displaced people from Kiryat Shmona walk in circles between the chairs in the reception and the restaurant room. The latest rumors and information are discussed with irritation. Begun on September 23, the Israeli offensive against Lebanon brings joy to the families, while ruining their hopes for a quick return. Lelach swears he saw the entrance to a tunnel with his own eyes “terrorist” next to her daughter’s school, and she doesn’t want to leave. “Everyone here supports “Bibi” [surnom du premier ministre, Benyamin Nétanyahou], Long live “Bibi”! »she says. In the uproar, many blame former head of government Ehud Barak for withdrawing Israeli troops from southern Lebanon in 2000. Others accuse anti-war protesters, who are still a minority, of weakening the country.
“It is difficult for all these people, they ruminate all day and some are desperateTal Shkelim, 49, confesses separately. I myself have my parents and my sister in Jerusalem, a brother in Eilat. [tout au sud du pays] with his family, whom I haven’t seen for months, and another in Tel Aviv. We are all separated from each other. » “The situationcontinue,It’s particularly difficult for the elderly, they want to die at home, but yesterday an elderly woman died here at the hotel, so I’m doing what I can to help them. » This lawyer is part of a team of 40 people, paid by the municipality – led by a young mayor from Likud, Netanyahu’s party – to provide assistance to its citizens, dispersed everywhere.
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