Displaced Israelis urge US to let Israel act against Hezbollah

A group calling itself Lobby 1701, comprised of Israelis evacuated from their settlements near Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, have told U.S. officials in a letter that American support in a move against Hezbollah is crucial for their safe return.

The organization, representing 60,000 residents of northern Israel who were evacuated from their homes, issued a letter to U.S. President Joe Biden and the head of the U.S. National Security Council, demanding that Israel be allowed to ensure the return of the displaced residents to their homes, either through diplomatic means or via a military operation.

“We speak in the name of the 60,000 residents of northern Israel who were evacuated from their homes and have been turned into refugees in our own land,” the letter sent on Monday said.

“We call on President Biden to give his full support to the government of Israel to act with the necessary force and means to promise our safety and security,” it added.

Their appeal comes amid reports that the U.S. government is preventing an Israeli military move on the northern border.

Efforts are meanwhile underway in the U.S. to find a diplomatic solution to the border issue.

In their letter to senior government and security officials in Washington, the Israeli citizens noted: "We all witnessed the horrific massacre committed on October 7th by Hamas terrorists against innocent civilians in the south of Israel. Since October 7th Hezbollah has put an end to our daily lives here in northern Israel. Because of their daily missiles and UAV attacks that target our homes and communities, and the threat of many more, we were unwillingly forced to evacuate.”

“For 17 years we have had to bear witness to how ineffective by UNSCR 1701 is in the face of reality. Hezbollah never acted in accordance with the resolution and openly established military positions on the border -- feet away from our homes. Meanwhile, UNIFIL has been providing a false sense of security, while allowing Hezbollah to rearm, prepare and plan its invasion into Israel. This has proven especially true over the past three years,” the letter added.

Lobby 1701 believes that there is no realistic chance of dealing with Hezbollah’s threat through diplomatic means.

"If Lebanon is unable to properly implement UNSCR 1701 to the extent that we deserve and demand, to provide a basic sense of security, we will relentlessly pressure our government to solve this issue through military means, and we request your full support. This is not a threat, nor is it a warning," they emphasizd. "This is an urgent call for action to the international community to prevent the next massacre,” they said.

In addition, they write: "No country could accept this current situation, in which a neighboring terrorist organization calls for its destruction and fires towards its citizens. Nor would any father or mother put their children at risk in such a threatening environment. Therefore, we feel certain that you understand why we can't return home to the status quo on October 6th and attempt to live a normal life while enduring this threat. The horrific images of October 7th warn us of the future waiting for us if we do."

Since the cross-border hostilities began between Israel and Hezbollah, more than 150 people have been killed on the Lebanese side, most of them Hezbollah combatants but also more than 20 civilians, three of them journalists. On the Israeli side, at least four civilians and nine soldiers have been killed, according to figures from the military.

Some 72,437 people in Lebanon are displaced, according to the International Organization for Migration.

Israel has been pushing for Hezbollah to withdraw north of the Litani River, which lies about 30 kilometers north of the border.

U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended a 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, called for the removal of armed personnel south of the Litani, except for U.N. peacekeepers and the Lebanese army and state security forces.

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said last week that Lebanon was ready to implement international resolutions that would help end Hezbollah's cross-border attacks if Israel also complies and withdraws from disputed territory.