Escaping the Danger: Israelis Living on the Border with Lebanon Fear Conflict with Hezbollah

During what should be the busiest time for tourism in Tiberias, a city in Israel situated on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, where numerous miracles performed by Jesus are said to have taken place, the situation is quite different. Instead of pilgrims flocking to the city, thousands of Israelis who have been forced to evacuate their homes near the Lebanese border have sought refuge in Tiberias. According to Mayor Boaz Yosef, this influx of evacuees has increased the city's population by 20%, making it the largest movement of Israelis in decades.

A low-intensity conflict has escalated in the northern region of Israel, following the attack by Hamas. The ongoing crossfire between Israeli forces and militants based in Lebanon has resulted in increasing casualties. A journalist from Reuters has been among those killed on the Lebanese side of the border, while an employee of an Israeli electric supplier was killed in an anti-tank missile strike in the Israeli border town of Dovev. Similar to the south, the northern border area of Israel has witnessed a mass exodus of residents, following the Defense Ministry's mandatory evacuation order for over 40 communities in October. Concerns are growing about the possibility of a full-scale confrontation with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, which would create a dangerous new front in the conflict.

Several of Dovevs evacuees, who have been living in Tiberias for a month, told CNN that they may never be ready to return to their moshav (cooperative community).

Israelis who were evacuated from the north of the country and seen in a hotel lobby in Tiberias, Israel, on November 16.

Tara John/CNN

Residents of Dovev point to Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, who has mentioned on multiple occasions the possibility of his fighters conducting a military operation into northern Israel if another war were to break out between Lebanon and Israel.

Hezbollah is known as one of the most formidable paramilitary forces in the Middle East. With backing from Iran, this Islamist movement has its primary stronghold along the Israel-Lebanon border and has been involved in various conflicts in the region, such as those in Iraq and Syria. Border clashes between Israel and Hezbollah have been escalating in recent weeks, with the intensity and territorial scope of the crossfire increasing.

From the basement of a hotel in Tiberias, where numerous evacuated children were participating in an impromptu lesson, Elana Pilveny firmly asserted to CNN that there is "absolutely no way I am going back." Given the alliance between Hamas and a southern Lebanese group, Pilveny's family refuses to take any risks, especially in light of the horrific events on October 7 when Hamas brutally massacred 1,200 individuals, a significant number of whom were innocent civilians.

Whole new level of fear

In the hotel lobby, a calm knitting circle formed by four long-time Dovev residents conceals the anxiety felt by the evacuees. Shoshana Yakut, 77, shared her apprehension from a Tiberias hotel, where she has resided for more than a month, saying, "I don't know how to return to Dovev and live a normal life again."

Pilveny, along with her husband, owns a small poultry farm in Dovev. She mentioned that the worker from the electric company who passed away last week was present to fix a powerline for the chicken farms in the community. As a result, her husband has requested the agricultural ministry in Israel to compassionately slaughter their chickens. From his office, situated with a view of the beautiful Sea of Galilee, Yosef, the mayor of Tiberias, stated that over 10,000 individuals have been relocated to his city. This has led to all 35 hotels in town being fully occupied. Tiberias is located approximately 30 kilometers south of the border.

On October 16, 2023, Israeli soldiers established their positions in the town of Kiryat Shmona, located near the Lebanon border. This move occurred amidst escalating tensions in the region during Israel's ongoing 10-day conflict with the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip. As a result, the Israeli army initiated the evacuation of border residents as a precautionary measure. The photo captured the intense atmosphere of the situation. (Photo by Jalaa MAREY / AFP) (Photo by JALAA MAREY/AFP via Getty Images)

Jalaa Marey/AFP via Getty Images

Clashes at Lebanon-Israel border raise fears of wider war

Residents have warmly welcomed the newcomers, but the local tourism industry has suffered greatly due to the ongoing war. Restaurants remain vacant and boat tours are scarce.

Efforts from the international community have been made to prevent a larger regional conflict. However, Yosef firmly believes that to safeguard the security of Israel, it is necessary to engage in military action in Lebanon. The goal is to dismantle Hezbollah's capabilities, taking into account the significant threat posed by their estimated arsenal of 150,000 rockets and precision-guided munitions.

If not, the events that occurred in the south of Israel will occur in the north, according to the statement of other mayors in northern Israel.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant recently issued a warning to Hezbollah after a day of cross-border exchanges, stating that similar actions taken in Gaza could also be carried out in Beirut, emphasizing that only a fraction of the Air Forces capabilities were used in Gaza.

Buffer zones

David Shenfer, a 75-year-old veteran evacuated from Kiryat Shmona near the northern tip of Israel, expressed his eagerness to return home, but also expressed concerns about the violence with Hezbollah.

The preferable scenario is a "political solution" wherein Hezbollah pulls back behind the Litani River in Lebanon, as indicated by a 2006 United Nations resolution. This resolution explicitly states that Hezbollah should refrain from operating between the Israeli-Lebanese border and the river, which spans 13 miles (20km) to its north.

View of the Sea of Galilee from a hotel in Tiberias, Israel, on November 16.

Tara John/CNN

A group of cousins, who were evacuated from the town of Dovev, knit quietly in a hotel lobby in Tiberias, Israel on November 16.

Tara John/CNN

Hezbollah continues to operate south of the river and Israel has routinely violated the resolution with territorial breaches through overflights in Lebanon.

Without a political agreement, Shenfer stated that there will be a need to compel Hezbollah to relocate northwards.

During the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah War, an effort was made to establish a buffer zone in the mentioned region. However, the conflict concluded without a definite winner or loser. Although various parts of Lebanon were severely destroyed, Israel's ultimate aim to dismantle Hezbollah was thwarted by the group.

The primary concern for those who have been evacuated is when they will be able to return home, or if they will be able to at all, and if not, what their next steps will be. The spokesperson for Kibbutz Baram, one of 30 kibbutzim in the country that adhere to a socialist model, stated that her main worry is the impact the war will have on their community model.

"We have experienced a significant loss of the certainty we once had," expressed Lea Raivitz. In her kibbutz, residents contribute their entire net salary to the community and in return receive a monthly budget. Consequently, she explained, "We are not responsible for paying for housing, electricity, water, healthcare, or education."

After a month of staying in a hotel, the concern arises that some kibbutz members may choose to relocate. Despite her strong determination to go back to her hillside community, Raivitz expressed that the current situation seems utterly impossible. She explained that Hezbollah militants have raised flags near a border fence adjacent to the kibbutz, further fueling their unease. "It's our cherished home, and we eagerly await that moment to return, but the challenge is unimaginable."