IDF Chief: No victory until northerners safely return home

A “true victory” in the north includes economic recovery, strengthening of agriculture and other industries, says IDF head.

By World Israel News Staff

Israel has defeated the Hezbollah group militarily, but a “true victory” will come when tens of thousands of displaced northerners can return to their communities, said IDF Chief of Staff Herzi HaLevi on Sunday.

While touring the northern border with Lebanon, HaLevi praised Israeli soldiers for miliary achievements over Hezbollah, including singificantly crippling the terror group’s ability to attack Israel.

But, HaLevi said, more than a year of near-daily Hezbollah bombardment had taken a serious toll on the northern region.

While a ceasefire officially came into effect in late November, some 70,000 northerners remain displaced.

Thousands of businesses have been shuttered. Tourism – a major industry for the north – shows no signs yet of recovery.

“A victory, in the long run, is that there will be a lot of citizens, a lot of tourism, that the restaurants that were here, and the cafes, and the people who come to ride bicycles, and the agriculture here, will all thrive,” HaLevi said.

“And the state needs to step in, offer a very strong shoulder” to help revitalize the north’s economy, HaLevi added.

According to Israel’s Tax Authority, Hezbollah attacks caused 1.5 billion shekels ($407 million) in property damage alone.

Many residents of the north have expressed pessimism over the 60-day ceasefire agreement, which is set to expire in late January, just after president-elect Donald Trump takes office.

They have said that they will not return to their homes until Hezbollah suffers a decisive military defeat or surrenders, stating that they do not trust the terror group to abide by the terms of the agreement.

A Hezbollah-affiliated newspaper recently published an editorial urging the terror group to resume hostilities against Israel.

“Although the people are tired of the war and do not want to be displaced again, the cost of confronting the occupation forces is lower than the cost of relying on what they are doing now,” wrote Ibrahim Al-Amine, a close personal friend of slain Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah.