Israeli northern residents fume at ceasefire, still feel vulnerable to attack

By Avi, Ohayon and Emily Rose

NAHARIYA, Israel (Reuters) - For the first time in months on Wednesday, sirens warning of incoming attacks from Lebanon were not heard in northern Israel, but many residents were nonetheless outraged by the government's ceasefire with the Hezbollah armed group.

The deal, which promises to end a cross-border conflict that has killed thousands since it was ignited by the Gaza war last year, is seen as a major achievement by U.S. President Joe Biden's administration but has stirred anger and apprehension in Israel's north.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday Israel maintained its right to act in case Iran-backed Hezbollah broke the terms of the deal.

"What do I say? That it's very bad, real bad," Nahariya resident Levana Karsenti told Reuters of the agreement.

"They (the government) did nothing and our soldiers were wasted away for nothing. Bibi (Netanyahu) should pack himself out of the government quickly, even though I supported him. He needs to go home urgently."

Many residents of northern Israel fear Hezbollah may try to launch a ground assault, similar to the Hamas attack on Israel's south on Oct. 7, 2023.

Hezbollah strikes have killed 45 civilians in northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Some 60,000 people evacuated from homes in the north have still not been directed to return.

The bulk of the damage in Israel has been inflicted in areas adjacent to the Lebanese border, pummeled by Hezbollah rockets.

The deal should have included a buffer zone between Israel and Lebanon, the mayor of the northern city of Kiryat Shmonah, just three km (1.8 miles) from the border, told Reuters.

Because Hezbollah uses civilian homes to hide weapons and launch attacks on Israelis, said Mayor Avichai Stern, Israel would not have a legitimate basis for countering Hezbollah activity.

"These are military bases ... for the purpose of attacking the northern border communities, and therefore it is impossible to accept their continued existence," Stern said.

ISRAEL WILL NOT ALLOW ANOTHER OCT. 7, OFFICIAL SAYS

Lebanon's military, tasked with ensuring the ceasefire lasts, has asked residents of Lebanese border villages to delay returning home until the Israeli military withdraws.

While the ceasefire largely held on Wednesday morning, Israel said it identified Hezbollah operatives returning to areas near the border and had opened fire to prevent them from coming closer.

A government official told Reuters that Israel had not prioritized the threat of infiltration in the deal because it is confident that the military gains Israel has made would give it enough warning time if Hezbollah forces were to try to launch a large-scale ground invasion like that of Oct. 7, 2023.

Israel has also destroyed enough Hezbollah infrastructure near the border that any infiltration attempt would be spotted and Israeli forces would have ample time to react, the official said.

At least 73 Israeli soldiers have been killed in northern Israel, the Golan Heights, and in combat in southern Lebanon, according to Israeli authorities.

"We are ready for any development and any violation of Hezbollah," a security official said. "We will not allow, not in Lebanon and not in Gaza, to have another 7 of October" but said "those are crucial days now" and that the ceasefire would need to be watched and measured on the merits.

The security official said the residents "need to feel and decide when it's safe" to return to their homes.

(Reporting by Emily Rose in Jerusalem and Avi Ohayon in Nahariya, Editing by William Maclean)