Across from ruins in Lebanon, a Kibbutz surpasses its prewar size
Title : Across from ruins in Lebanon, a Kibbutz surpasses its prewar size
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The sound of construction in Kibbutz Yiftah travels across the border with Lebanon and echoes among the ruins of the Shi’ite village of Blida, which Hezbollah used as a stronghold before Israel destroyed much of it. “Blida is gone, and we are building new homes for new families who want to move here. That’s the story this image tells,” Annat Zisovich-Charrit, the head of civilian security at Kibbutz Yiftah and a mother of two, told JNS earlier this month near a construction site where homes for 22 new families are being built.
The scene reflects the broader rehabilitation of northern Israel following the mass evacuation that ended last year, after Israeli military operations severely weakened Hezbollah and pushed its forces and infrastructure away from parts of the border area. For years before the war, Hezbollah had harassed and intimidated Israelis living near the frontier. The evacuation of some 60,000 northern residents beginning in October 2023 devastated the economy of the Upper Galilee, a tourist destination known for its mild climate, scenic beauty and streams.
Kiryat Shmona, the region’s only city, lost about a third of its roughly 25,000 prewar residents, who did not return after the evacuation, according to its mayor. The Kibbutz Movement estimates that the area’s kibbutzim lost about 12% of their population. By September 2025, 87% of the evacuated population had returned, according to figures released by the government’s Tnufa North task force. At the same time, hundreds of Israelis moved north as Israel’s operations against Hezbollah significantly improved the security situation. Kibbutz Yiftah, a community of about 700 people, lost 10 families but is now preparing to receive more than twice that number, Zisovich-Charrit said.
Yiftah is one of at least 10 evacuated communities whose populations had surpassed their prewar levels by September 2025, according to data released that month by Tnufa North. Ze’ev Elkin, a minister in the Finance Ministry responsible for rehabilitating northern and southern Israel, said at the time that the growth demonstrated that the north’s demographic recovery had begun. Neither Elkin’s office nor the Central Bureau of Statistics has complete population data for 2026. Updated figures are expected in the final quarter of this year. To encourage residents to return and attract new families, the government approved a package of roughly 13 billion shekels, or about $4 billion, for the rehabilitation, development and protection of northern communities. The package is comprised of several separate government programs, including the multiyear Tnufa North development plan and a dedicated fortification program. (Read More)
Across from ruins in Lebanon, a Kibbutz surpasses its prewar size
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Across from ruins in Lebanon, a Kibbutz surpasses its prewar size
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