1 of 1 War tank is seen in Kiryat Shmona on October 11, 2023 Photo: Portal/Lisi Niesner War tank is seen in Kiryat Shmona on October 11, 2023 Photo: Portal/Lisi Niesner
Israel announced it would evacuate the town of Kiryat Shmona, which is near the border with Lebanon in the north of the country. A statement with the measure was released in the early hours of this Friday (20).
Around 20,000 people live in the city, which is just 2 km from the border with Lebanon. The region is experiencing an escalation of tensions, particularly due to attacks by the armed group Hezbollah.
Affected residents are sent to homes supported by the Israeli government.
“The plan was approved by Defense Minister Yoav Galant. “Not long ago, the Northern Command communicated the decision to the city’s mayor,” the military said.
The Israeli government did not provide any further information about the motivation for drawing up the evacuation plan.
Although the war was sparked by Hamas attacks against Israel from the Gaza Strip, Hezbollah declared its support for the terrorist group with attacks from Lebanon.
Residents of towns on the border between Israel and Lebanon had already begun to leave their homes in recent days, largely out of fear of escalation and the emergence of a new front in the conflict.
“It’s not the same as before. We can handle it. There were bombs, there were rockets and we sought shelter in air raid shelters. This time it is a completely different kind of fear terrible fear,” said Smadar Azoulai, a resident of Kiryat Shmona.
Conflict in the Middle East
Israel declares war after Hamas attack; understand
▶️ How did the conflict begin? The confrontation began after the terrorist group Hamas fired hundreds of rockets at Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7.
- Armed men from the south of the country invaded Israeli territory by land, air and sea, on motorcycles and paragliders.
- There were reports that the invaders shot people in the streets and kidnapped dozens of Israelis (including women and children) and took them to Gaza as hostages.
▶️ How did Israel react?? Faced with the Hamas offensive, the Israeli government began retaliatory measures.
- “We are at war and we will win,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said shortly after the attack. “Our enemy will pay a price he has never known.”
- Also on October 7, Israel launched bombing raids on the Gaza Strip.
▶️ What is and where is the Gaza Strip? It is the Palestinian territory located on a narrow piece of land on the western coast of Israel, on the border with Egypt.
- The city, which is characterized by poverty and overpopulation, has 2 million inhabitants who live in an area of 360 km².
- To get an idea of this size compared to Brazilian cities: the territory is slightly larger than that of the city of Fortaleza (312.4 km²) and smaller than that of Curitiba (434.8 km²).
- Gaza was captured by Israel in the SixDay War in 1967 and handed over to the Palestinians in 2005. Gaza is currently experiencing a blockade of goods and services imposed by its border neighbors.
▶️ What is the history of conflict in the region? The dispute between Israel and Palestine has been going on for decades and has resulted in numerous armed clashes and deaths.
- In its modern form, it dates back to 1947, when the United Nations (UN) proposed the creation of two states, one Jewish and one Arab, in Palestine under a British mandate.