Reports of progress toward a cease-fire with Hezbollah have sparked significant frustration among residents of northern Israel, who fear that a potential agreement could allow the Lebanese terrorist group to rebuild and once again threaten their safety. An American official said Monday that "a cease-fire in Lebanon is imminent."
After more than a year of hostilities, residents are calling for a decisive resolution that exploits Hezbollah’s current weakened state following the extensive Israeli bombing campaign, which has targeted much of its leadership.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US special envoy Amos Hochstein and Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem
(Photo: Kawnat HAJU / AFP, Yariv Katz, REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir)
Kiryat Shmona Mayor Avihay Stern expressed strong opposition to the reported deal, urging Israel's leaders to reconsider. "Before signing what feels like a surrender agreement, I call on our leaders to look into the eyes of Kiryat Shmona’s children and think of their future," Stern said.
"This agreement brings the threat of October 7 closer to the north. How have we gone from total victory to total surrender? Why not finish what we started? We’ve crushed Hezbollah, yet instead of dismantling it completely, we’re giving it the chance to recover. And what will our residents return to? A devastated city with no security and no future? This is madness," Stern warned.
Residents across the region are demanding that Israel "end the story" and eliminate Hezbollah’s capabilities, ensuring long-term security before returning to their homes.
'They are playing with our lives'
Moshe Davidovich, head of the Mateh Asher Regional Council in the Western Galilee, harshly criticized the emerging cease-fire agreement. “I ask myself whether I’m living in a dream or a delusion—or if the decision-makers in Israel’s government are the ones delusional,” Davidovich said in an interview with Ynet.
“I’m not the one under delusion, because to present this charade—after people have spent more than a year confined to bomb shelters, after children have wet their beds for over a year, after mental health here has been stretched to the absolute limit—is simply insulting,” he added.
“Anyone who thinks we’re just guinea pigs in a lab has clearly lost their way. And anyone who believes they can just flip a switch, say ‘that’s it, time’s up,’ and that life will return to normal with peace and harmony restored along the confrontation line is living in a fantasy. These are people sitting comfortably in central Israel, in ivory towers, steering us toward disaster.
"We have brave residents here who, for over a year, have lost their livelihoods, their businesses, their agriculture, their tourism and their homes. And yet they [the decision-makers] are playing with our lives. Woe to the nation led by such captains.”
Davidovich warned that the consequences of the agreement would fall squarely on the shoulders of government leaders. He condemned their failure to reinforce northern shelters or provide sufficient missile-proof rooms, saying, “The blood will be on their hands. These are rash, unprofessional, unsafe and insecure decisions. We in the north are the state’s bulletproof vest, its shield, and we pay the price. Tragically, we will continue to pay the price because we are ignored, we are invisible, we do not matter.”
Asked about discussions with military officials, Davidovich revealed alarming developments in southern Lebanon in recent days. “What they’ve discovered just four or five kilometers away is extremely concerning. It’s not something from a year ago, or six months ago, or even a month ago—it’s recent, and it keeps me awake at night.”
He specifically referenced threats near Rosh Hanikra: “Those bunkers uncovered three kilometers from Rosh Hanikra have left me sleepless since Saturday. I’m exhausted, I’m worried, and I fear for the future of Mateh Asher’s children and all the kids along the confrontation line. To force them to return home without proper protection is unconscionable.”
'The house is collapsing on me'
The head of the Mateh Asher Regional Council cautioned that residents would not feel secure under the proposed agreement, leading to an increasing number of families leaving the region.
“As the days pass, more and more families are leaving the Galilee and the north,” he said. “We will do everything in our power to stop this trickle from turning into a flood. But it’s already happening daily, and as long as people don’t feel safe, more families will leave. The responsibility for this will lie squarely on the shoulders of the decision-makers.”
Residential building in Nahariya takes direct hit from Hezbollah rocket, Sunday
David Shmuel, a resident of Nahariya whose home was struck by Hezbollah rockets Sunday, also shared his fears in an interview with Ynet, which was interrupted by another air raid siren. “Yesterday was a terrible day,” he recounted, describing how his daughter narrowly escaped harm by following safety protocols and rushing to a protected room.
“She made it to the shelter, and two seconds later, a missile hit the building,” Shmuel said. “I was on the phone with her—she screamed, ‘The house is collapsing on me! I hear screams, glass shattering.’ She was in complete shock. She’s still not calm, but we’re okay, we’re healthy.”
Reflecting on over a year of life under fire from Lebanon, Shmuel described the situation as unbearable. “It’s tough. There’s no life, we’ve had no life for a year now. You can’t plan anything, can’t go anywhere, can’t go out freely, not even to do something simple like exercise outside.”
While residents long for peace, Shmuel voiced his opposition to the proposed agreement. “I don’t think now is the time,” he said. “I think until Lebanon is cleared of threats, the fire must not stop because it will return. Maybe in a year, two, or three—it will come back.
“In the north, we’re used to this, but I think now is the time to end it for the long term, for decades. We must not reach a one-sided agreement today that serves no one, least of all us in the north.”
Politicians across spectrum blast emerging Lebanon agreement
Criticism of the proposed agreement has come from politicians across Israel's political spectrum, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. While refraining from issuing ultimatums or threatening to dissolve the government, Ben-Gvir called the agreement a “historic missed opportunity to eliminate Hezbollah.”
“I understand the constraints and the arguments, but this is a serious mistake,” Ben-Gvir said. “We need to listen to field commanders and local leaders. Now, when Hezbollah is reeling and desperate for a cease-fire, we must not stop. As I warned in Gaza, I am warning again: Mr. Prime Minister, it’s not too late to stop this agreement! We must push forward until total victory.”
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National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir (right) and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (center)
(Photo: AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Likud MK Amit Halevi also expressed reservations, specifically targeting U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein, who reportedly set a deadline for both sides to finalize the agreement or face his withdrawal from negotiations. Israeli officials fear such a withdrawal could lead to a problematic Security Council resolution imposing a cease-fire.
Referring to Hochstein’s role in brokering the 2022 maritime border agreement with Lebanon—widely criticized by the current coalition while in opposition—Halevi warned that any “Hochstein-style agreement” would be disastrous.
“The emerging deal relies on UN Security Council Resolution 1701 from 2006, but it should be based on Resolution 1559 from 2004, which calls for Lebanon’s independence and the disarmament of militias, including Hezbollah,” Halevi said. “Any agreement that does not include Hezbollah's removal from Lebanon fails to meet Israel's security needs and contradicts the Cabinet’s decision to ensure residents can return home safely.”
Likud MK Dan Illouz echoed concerns, calling reports of the near-deal with Hezbollah “deeply troubling.”
“Instead of exploiting Hezbollah’s weakness after two months of heavy blows, the agreement under discussion grants the organization strategic gains and endangers Israel’s security,” Illouz said.
He criticized the proposed deployment of the Lebanese Army in southern Lebanon, calling it “self-delusion.” “This is the same army overseen by a government in which Hezbollah holds significant power. It’s the same army that stood idly by as Hezbollah amassed a massive arsenal of rockets threatening Israel’s citizens,” Illouz said.
The international oversight mechanism included in the deal also drew skepticism. “It reminds me of past agreements—impressive on paper but toothless in reality. They did not last even a few months,” he concluded.
Opposition leaders have also voiced strong objections to the emerging agreement, emphasizing the need for Israeli military autonomy in protecting the country’s northern residents and rejecting reliance on international forces.
National Unity Party leader Benny Gantz said that the defense of northern Israel must remain exclusively under the IDF, dismissing the involvement of international forces. "We cannot return to the reality of October 6," Gantz said during a conference on Israel's post-war economic recovery. "The IDF must retain full operational freedom to counter threats from Lebanon and continue offensive actions against Hezbollah's infrastructure until a desirable agreement is reached."
Speaking later at his party's Knesset faction meeting, Gantz reiterated, "Without delving into the specifics of the proposed agreement, one thing must be unequivocally clear: with or without a deal, only the IDF will protect the residents of the north. Not UNIFIL, and not the Lebanese Army."
Opposition leader Yair Lapid also expressed reservations while emphasizing the importance of a political resolution. "I sympathize with the residents of Nahariya and Metula, but ultimately, a political agreement is necessary," Lapid said. "The IDF has achieved tremendous successes in Lebanon—from unacknowledged operations to the elimination of Nasrallah and senior officials, and the ongoing strikes in Dahieh and southern Lebanon. These operational achievements are remarkable, but they are meaningless without a political endgame."
Yisrael Beitenu leader Avigdor Liberman was more direct, labeling the deal "unreasonable" for not requiring the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah. "Israel's leadership remains trapped in the same flawed mindset, still living as if it’s October 6, and nothing has changed," Liberman said during a faction meeting.
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"This agreement is disastrous for Israel," he added. "The Iranians have already begun rebuilding Hezbollah, smuggling weapons again. Without mechanisms to create distance and ensure a security buffer, I tell the residents of the north: there’s no reason to return home. We cannot accept a deal that absolves the Lebanese government while allowing Hezbollah to operate freely and prepare for the next war."
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar stressed the importance of enforceability in any agreement. "The true test of any deal will not be in its wording or phrasing, but in enforcement," Sa’ar said. "This enforcement must focus on two points: preventing Hezbollah from moving south of the Litani River and stopping them from rebuilding their arsenal anywhere in Lebanon."
Sa’ar underscored the government’s commitment to preventing a return to pre-October 7 conditions. "Any violation must be dealt with immediately. We will not sell the future for temporary peace in the present," he said.