Northern Israeli residents furious over renewed rocket fire from Lebanon: 'Returning the residents is an irresponsible act'

Residents of northern Israel and local council leaders expressed their anger following the rocket fire from Lebanon toward Metula on Saturday morning.

Many are calling on the government to "finish the job" against Hezbollah. The IDF stated that it cannot yet confirm the identity of the group responsible for this morning’s rocket launches, while in Lebanon, officials blame "Palestinian factions," and Hezbollah has denied any involvement.

Following the rocket fire, Metula’s council head, David Azoulai, stated, "This morning, we received further proof that returning residents to the town is dangerous and irresponsible."

According to him, only 8% of the residents have returned so far, but some have already packed up and left again due to this morning’s attack. In an interview with Ronen Pollak on Yoman HaShavua on Kan Reshet Bet, Azoulai urged the government not to tolerate "drips" of rocket fire from Lebanon and to complete the mission in Lebanon.

Moshe Davidovich, head of the Mateh Asher Regional Council and chairman of the Confrontation Line Forum, called on the government to take firm action against Hezbollah.

"We will not allow our residents, who have just returned home, to face past traumas again. We will not compromise on their security under any circumstances, and we will not accept this situation as the new normal," Davidovich stated.

Oshrat Lupo, a resident of Kiryat Shmona who was evacuated from her home, told Kan News, "I really want to return, but how can I? Just this morning, we woke up to rockets from Lebanon. What happened to us isn’t just neglect since October 6, but a problem going back 20 years. Why are they forcing us to return home if they haven’t finished the job?" Lupo added, "Since the Second Lebanon War, Hezbollah has grown stronger right under the government’s nose, and nothing was done about it. On October 7, they evacuated us to ‘golden cages.’ Why haven’t they finished the job yet?"

Hezbollah officially denied any involvement in the rocket fire from southern Lebanon toward Israel. The organization stated that "Israel's claims are just an excuse for its continued aggression against Lebanon, which has not stopped since the ceasefire was declared."

In an official statement, Hezbollah reiterated its commitment to the ceasefire agreement and its support for the Lebanese state in handling what it called "Israel’s dangerous escalation."

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri also denied any connection between the rocket fire toward northern Israel and Hezbollah, stating that "the only beneficiary of dragging Lebanon and the region into an explosion is Israel."

A Lebanese security source told Al-Hadath news channel that it is possible Palestinian factions were responsible for the rocket launches toward northern Israel.

The IDF stated that it cannot confirm at this stage which group fired the six rockets at Israel, three of which crossed the border.

The military also reported that since the ceasefire with Lebanon began, around 100 terrorists have been eliminated and that the Israeli Air Force has struck over 120 targets across Lebanon that posed threats to Israel.