Israelis living near Lebanon border say life is growing intolerable
As rocket fire from Lebanon streaked over the northern Israeli settlement of Kiryat Shmona Wednesday, the settlement’s remaining inhabitants said life there was growing intolerable after eight months of near-daily fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
Booms rang out overhead and residents ran for safety. Cars lining the streets bore cracked windshields from past attacks and windows were blown out.
“It is scary,” said Uri Vazan, a resident of Kiryat Shmona. “You don’t know when it is coming to you, suddenly you have an alarm, suddenly missiles fall.”
Israel’s military said 15 rockets from Lebanon were fired at Kiryat Shmona on Wednesday, provoking retaliatory Israeli strikes on Hezbollah targets. The cross-border fighting has turned the formerly bustling Israeli settlement into a ghost town.
“To be here is not easy. It is scary, it is unbearable, it can’t be contained,” said resident Shishi Phima.
Top U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein visited Israel and Beirut this week as part of efforts to quell tension and help achieve a diplomatic solution that could see residents return to their homes. But progress has seemed elusive.
On Tuesday, Israel’s army announced it had “approved and validated” plans for an offensive in Lebanon. On Wednesday, the leader of Hezbollah said the group has new weapons and intelligence capabilities that could help it target more critical positions deeper inside Israel in case of an all-out war.
Source: Associated Press
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://naharnet.com/stories/en/306011 |