The head of the Metulla Council, David Azoulay, reportedly said that “over 70% of the homes in Metulla were damaged, with 50% in such a dire condition that they are uninhabitable.”
Many illegal Jewish settlers were “still hesitant” about returning to the north of Israel, according to an Israeli media report.
The settlers “remain hesitant and are awaiting the Supreme Court’s decisions regarding the demands of the Kiryat Shmona settlements and the local councils in Metulla and Mount Hermon,” the Israeli Yedioth Ahronoth reported, as cited by the Al Mayadeen news outlet.
As the deadline to return looms, Israelis displaced from northern settlements remain uncertain, awaiting the Supreme Court’s decision on crucial demands for more time and resources before returning.#Palestine https://t.co/kwOEmveoaF
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) February 27, 2025
These demands request an extension of the evacuation period and the continuation of temporary schools until the end of the school year to allow sufficient time for relocation preparations, the report noted.
It comes two days before the expiration of the Israeli government’s decision to evacuate tens of thousands of settlers from the north and return them to 42 settlements from which they were evacuated in October 2023, it continued.
The newspaper reported that “the government insists on returning everyone, even to settlements that have not yet prepared to receive them,” according to Al Mayadeen.
Extension Requested
In Metulla, for example, officials were awaiting the government’s response to their appeal to the Supreme Court, requesting an extension of the evacuation of approximately 2,000 illegal settlers for an additional four months.
“This appeal cites the extensive damage caused by Hezbollah fire, as well as the destruction resulting from the presence of Israeli forces in homes and public buildings,” Al Mayadeen reported.
Restoring Palestine to Its Rightful Owners: A Conversation with Mads Gilbert
The head of the Metulla Council, David Azoulay, reportedly said that “over 70% of the homes in Metulla were damaged, with 50% in such a dire condition that they are uninhabitable.”
“The educational system has been devastated, public institutions are in ruins, and even property tax officials acknowledge that there is no solution yet,” he added.
Citing a report by the Israeli Channel 14, Al Mayadeen reported that the damage to illegal settlements in the evacuated area was estimated at around 9 billion shekels (over 2.5 billion dollars), with approximately 2,900 buildings damaged by Hezbollah fire in Lebanon.
The report noted that according to a plan presented by Likud MK Zeev Elkin, head of the Northern Reconstruction Administration, the direct damage is estimated at 5.5 billion shekels ($1.5 billion), while the indirect damage amounts to 3.5 billion shekels ($985 million).
(Al Mayadeen, PC)
