During a press conference held today (Sunday) by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Ze’ev Elkin – the minister responsible for the rehabilitation of the north and south – a target date was set for the return of northern residents to their homes, of approximately two months after the onset of the ceasefire with Hezbollah. “The ability to return to the north, and expand this area 2-4 times more than before the war is the real victory here,” said Smotrich, who announced: “We are aiming for the residents to return home on March 1st.”
Reopening Educational Institutions and Grants for Residents
The press conference addressed the grants distribution plan and additional actions in preparation for the residents’ return to the north.
As part of the new plan presented by the Minister of Finance, the state will assist evacuated residents in the process of returning to educational frameworks and normal life. The education system will reopen, even for a limited number of students, with Smotrich stating, “We have doubled the budget for teaching hours to allow all kindergartens to open by the end of this school year.” Additionally, Tel Hai College will resume its activities for students beginning March 1st.
The plan includes two main grants: first, a return grant, which will allow families to choose between paying rent until the end of the school year or a monetary sum to prepare for their return home in March. Second, an abandonment grant, aimed to provide compensation for damages caused to property due to the prolonged evacuation, such as electrical issues, rodent damage, and infrastructure problems.
Residents who request the grants will need to provide proof of their ties to the evacuated area. Families without a valid rental contract will not be eligible for the grant. Additionally, it was decided that beginning in March, the amount of the grants will subsequently be cut in half each month, in order to encourage the return of residents to their homes as soon as possible.
The Picture of Victory: Empowering the North Fourfold
Smotrich explained how he envisions the full picture of victory. “I used to say that returning home is part of the victory picture; today I want to say that this is the victory picture. The ability to return home, develop, and empower this area two, three, or even four times to what it was before the war is our great goal.”
The Minister of Finance also addressed the possible concerns of residents about returning to the north, which has been under fire since the beginning of the war, and assured that it was made possible only thanks to a different security reality. “The key to returning home is security. We are not going to compromise on this issue. Hezbollah has suffered a very hard blow, and today we see determined and uncompromising enforcement. We will not allow a renewed threat to emerge, neither on the northern border nor for the northern residents.”
Smotrich continued: “I promise the residents: we will not return to 20 years of containment. We will not allow the re-establishment of terrorist bases—neither on your homes nor near them. You are returning to a different security reality, and we will ensure that this calm is maintained for years.” Referring to the Israeli government’s plans with the incoming Trump administration set to take office on January 20th, the Finance Minister said: “I want to restrain myself for another 15 days to fully express my thoughts and our plans, but I can assure the residents of the north that we are not returning to 20 years of containment.”
Minister Ze’ev Elkin, and Head of the Matta Asher Regional Council and Chairman of the Frontline Forum Moshe Davidovitz, reinforced Smotrich’s statements. Davidovitz added: “The government will provide an average grant of tens of thousands of shekels for each family, but the core issue for me is not the grant. It’s the action plan to bring our residents back home to normal lives, rehabilitation, and the evolution of both the Galilee in general and the frontline in particular – just like what happened in the south.”
Executive Project Manager: The Return Will Occur in Waves
As a reminder, last month the executive northern project manager, Eliezer “Cheni” Marom estimated that the return of residents to their homes is expected to begin in March.
These remarks were made at the Northern Authorities Conference, where Cheni described the expected manner of the residents’ return: “The first wave is already happening, and during which I estimate that about 20% of the evacuees will return. The second phase will begin during Passover, after the method for distribution of the return and settlement grants is determined. I estimate that at this stage, between 50% and 65% of the evacuees will return, and the remainder will return after the end of the school year.”
