Though the government eventually allocated NIS 940 million ($268 million) in May 2024 for immediate recovery, only 65% of the funds had been used by July. By Sveta Listratov, TPSMore than half of the 60,000 residents of northern Israel who were evacuated under the threat of Hezbollah rocket fire are unlikely to return to their communities because the government has failed to provide effective support, said a report released by the State Comptroller’s Office on Tuesday.In response, evacuees told The Press Service of Israel that the government has “left us behind.”The report, written by State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman said “Fifty-four percent of northern evacuees said there’s a high likelihood they won’t return to their homes,” compared to just 13% of evacuees from southern Israel.The State Comptroller, also known as the State Ombudsman, periodically releases reports auditing Israeli preparedness and the effectiveness of government policies.According to Tuesday’s report, over 60,000 residents from 40 localities near the Lebanese border were evacuated under Israel Defense Forces’ directives in October 2023 amid daily Hezbollah rocket attacks.Though the government eventually allocated NIS 940 million ($268 million) in May 2024 for immediate recovery, only 65% of the funds had been used by July.In August, instead of disbursing the rest of the money, the government cut back the fund by 14%.“The impact of the northern front on hundreds of thousands of residents is unprecedented in scale, intensity, and duration,” said Englman. “The government failed to deliver the necessary response… The evacuees deserved better.”Bureaucratic confusion further hampered the response, with responsibility shifting from the Interior Ministry to the Finance Ministry, then to the Prime Minister’s Office.Despite government orders to act within three months, key steps remained unfulfilled after four.“The government has abandoned the Galilee without a fight. It promised grand plans, replaced them again and again, but in practice, almost nothing has been implemented,” Assaf Langleben, head of the Upper Galilee Regional Council and resident of Kibbutz Kfar Szold, said. “The army is working around the clock to protect us, but the government left us behind.”He called on the government to transfer full authority and funding to local councils. “As long as decisions are made in Jerusalem, far from our reality, nothing will change. Right now we’re relying on philanthropy from Israel and abroad. That’s not how you rebuild the north,” Langleben insisted.For residents, the reality is uncertain.Ilana, a longtime resident of Metula who recently returned to her home, told TPS-IL, “It was a very difficult time. We’re happy to be back, but there’s still a lot of work — repairs, cleanup, emotional recovery,” she said.“We were lucky. Our house wasn’t badly damaged. But in the neighborhoods closer to the border, entire areas are wiped out. It’ll take a long time to rebuild. A few families have returned, and you can see renovation work here and there — slowly, but it’s starting.”In Kiryat Shmona, the largest northern city evacuated, Tzipi, a long-time resident, described a ghost town.“Almost nothing has reopened yet. People are trickling back, but most businesses are still closed. They’re waiting for their government compensation to run out in July before deciding if it’s worth it to come back,” she told TPS-IL.“One small mall is open, but the main shopping center is still shut. Restaurants, stores — it’s all shut down. You need a car to go out for lunch in nearby towns. The streets are a mess, no repairs. Where is the municipality? Where is the plan?”Moshe Davidovich, head of the Mateh Asher Regional Council and chair of the Northern Confrontation Line Forum demanded government implementation of a separate NIS 15 billion recovery plan approved by the government in December 2024. “Days of grace are long gone,” he said.Despite six months having passed since a ceasefire with Hezbollah took effect, only 65% of evacuees have returned. Local officials warn that without decisive national action, the north may never recover.“The failures are clear in every citizen’s eyes,” said Langleben. “But if the government truly wants it, rebuilding the Galilee is still possible.”After the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, Hezbollah began firing rockets and launching drones at northern Israel communities daily. Leaders of the Iran-backed terror group repeatedly vowed they would continue the attacks to prevent Israelis from returning to their homes.The post ‘Evacuees deserved better’: Bureaucratic failures stall northern Israel’s rebuilding appeared first on World Israel News.