DOVEV, Israel, March 7, 2025 (BSS/AFP) – On a picturesque hilltop in Israel’s northern border region with Lebanon, Carmela Keren Yakuti stands proudly on her freshly cleaned patio in Dovev, a community she fled over 16 months ago due to the threat of Hezbollah attacks.
“Now that everyone is back, it’s an amazing feeling,” said Yakuti, 40, taking in the crisp air and the beautiful view of the surrounding countryside.
“It’s great here. We have a beautiful moshav, a beautiful view,” she added, referring to a small agricultural community typical in Israel. “It’s simply great to be back home.”
On October 8, 2023, following Hamas’s unprecedented assault on southern Israel, Hezbollah declared its support for Palestinian militants and began launching rockets into northern Israel.
In response to the escalating threat, the Israeli military evacuated Yakuti, her family, and many others from Dovev, relocating them to a hotel in the southern city of Tiberias.
The violence with Hezbollah, backed by Iran, displaced approximately 60,000 residents from northern Israeli towns and villages, according to official data. Of these, half have yet to return.
Meanwhile, more than one million people fled southern Lebanon, with around 100,000 still displaced, as reported by the United Nations.
A truce agreement came into effect on November 27, 2024, after over a year of hostilities, including intense fighting and ground troop deployments in Lebanon. On March 1, Israeli authorities confirmed that residents of the northern border communities could finally return home.
Yakuti, who retrained as a beautician during her time away, said she immediately packed her belongings, said her farewells to the hotel staff, and moved back into her two-storey home.
From her living room and patio, she has an unobstructed view of a Lebanese village, which was evacuated by the Israeli army in September 2023, ahead of the ground offensive into Lebanon.
“I’m not afraid and not shaking. The army did its job and carried out its work,” said Yakuti, a mother of three. “I’m at peace with my decision to return here, and I wouldn’t give up my home and moshav even if the war continued.”
While many of Dovev’s residents were returning this week, the situation was less upbeat in other northern border communities.
In Hanita, a kibbutz community, Or Ben Barak estimated that only 20 to 30 families, out of 300, had returned.
“At first, there was this kind of euphoria when they announced that we could return,” said Ben Barak, 49, whose grandparents helped found the kibbutz. “But now people are also seeing that the place isn’t quite ready for living yet.”
Ben Barak pointed out the many areas damaged by rockets, mortars, and the heavy military vehicles that had passed through on their way into Lebanon.
When asked if he was concerned about security now that the war was over, Ben Barak said his main worry was about the community’s future. “The real question is how to maintain this quiet,” he said. “How can we ensure a peaceful life for the next 20 to 30 years?”
Just down the hill, the town of Shlomi appeared to be returning to normality, with businesses like Baleli Falafel bustling with customers. However, for some, the sense of safety remains fragile.
“I feel much safer than before, but do I feel 100 percent safe? No,” said Ronit Fire, 54. “It’s not pleasant to say this, but it feels like it’s just a matter of time.”
She added, “The next time will come again at some point.”
Supplementary Information:
The return of residents to northern Israel highlights both the resilience and the challenges faced by communities in the region. While the truce between Israel and Hezbollah has brought relative calm, concerns over long-term stability persist. In the aftermath of the conflict, the Israeli government faces the difficult task of rebuilding damaged infrastructure and fostering trust within communities that have been through prolonged conflict. At the same time, Lebanon continues to cope with significant displacement, with the Lebanese government and international organisations working to address the needs of those affected by the war. The fragile peace in the region is expected to remain a focus of diplomatic efforts in the coming years.
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