Tense calm in far north as Israel prepares to 'finish the job' against Hezbollah

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

60% : Those with young families have children in school elsewhere in Israel, others have found new jobs, or simply enjoy the convenience and attractions of big cities such as Tel Aviv, almost 125 miles (200 kilometres) away.
57% : "This city is important strategically for Israel.
48% : Hezbollah says it has complied with ceasefire requirements for it to withdraw from the border region near Israel, and for the Lebanese army to deploy there.
47% : But it is clear that whatever the new investment in some communities along Israel's northern border, there are some former residents who will not come back.
45% : The 44-year-old brewer is standing in front of the house his grandfather built when the Manara kibbutz was founded in the 1940s in the very far north of Israel.
45% : Some analysts say talk of a fresh Israeli offensive may be designed to increase pressure on the Lebanese army to move more aggressively to disarm Hezbollah, but suggest it could also be intended to reinforce support for Israel's rightwing ruling coalition.
43% : Though he has lost his home and the microbrewery that provided his income when forced to evacuate Manara, he switched production to large commercial breweries in central Israel and now sells ten times more.
41% : From Metula, the de facto border between Israel and Lebanon runs south and then west along across forested ridges to the Mediterranean.
40% : Israeli military officials said they were "committed to the ceasefire agreement, but also to Israel's security". Azoulay is unconcerned by the prospect of a new attack by Hezbollah.
39% : But Helman's children, sent away during the conflict, have got used to life elsewhere in Israel and are in no hurry to return.
37% : Israel's major offensive in autumn last year delivered a series of devastating blows to Hezbollah but also killed an estimated 3,800 people in Lebanon, including many civilians, and forced 1.2 million from their homes.
34% : Metula, the northernmost town in Israel, was turned into an army base during the war and 80% of its houses were damaged by missiles launched by Hezbollah from positions inside Lebanon, but just hundreds of metres away.
33% : There is a bipartisan consensus in Israel this weekend that a fresh military offensive to "finish the job" of destroying Hezbollah's military capabilities is imminent.
33% : Like many along Israel's northern border, Malul Yanai frequently refers to the surprise Hamas raid into Israel in October 2023 which killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 250 hostage, triggering the war in Gaza.
30% : Israel has accused Hezbollah of trying to rearm since a US-backed ceasefire last year, and has launched more than 1,000 attacks in Lebanon since the 2024 ceasefire, killing hundreds of people.
26% : Israel's air defence systems protected local communities from most of the rocket barrages launched by Hezbollah in solidarity with Hamas in Gaza, but 47 civilians in Israel and 83 Israeli soldiers died, with hundreds more wounded, and tens of thousands displaced.
21% : The United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (Unifil) has said at least one is within Lebanese territory, a charge denied by Israel.

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