There is a new mural in Metula. In large red numbers, it says: “7.10” – in memory of the October 7 massacre.
The mural is a bit jarring, as it now appears on the historic main road of the town among pretty homes and restaurants. It shows the history of the community.
That history, however, moves from the beauty of early Israel to the horrors of October 7, 2023. It shows rockets targeting an Israeli home from all directions. Then it shows destruction, and ruin, and soldiers taking shelter.
Metula is on Israel’s northern border and is its northernmost community. Throughout the war it was exposed to Hezbollah attacks.
Many homes were damaged. More than 2,000 residents here were evacuated. Only a few remained. The IDF moved into the town.
Today, things have changed again. People are now returning. During Sukkot, tourists and visitors came. Several restaurants and small hotels were open.
A drive through the community and its pretty historic main street, which dates from the late 19th century, takes a visitor to the border. There is a fence. Beyond the fence is another fence.
'We are coming,' was Hezbollah's threatening presence over Metula
A bunker is reached through a concrete entranceway at the rear. Inside the bunker, one can see into Lebanon. Peering through the fence, one can see a large blue can, the size of an oil drum, perched atop a pole. The blue can says: “UN.” Apparently, this is some marker that UNIFIL installed.
Before 2023, the presence of the UN could be seen on the other side. Its white vehicles were sometimes visible.
In addition, Hezbollah flags could be seen. Hezbollah had also installed a large Palestinian flag on a hill on the other side. A giant billboard showed al-Aqsa Mosque.
The message was clear: Hezbollah was saying, “We are here, and we are coming.” Hezbollah could look over Metula and wait for its chance.
On October 7, 2023, Hezbollah did not attack Israel. It did choose to join the war on October 8 and shell the border. In the days that followed, Israel and Hezbollah traded fire, but the major Hezbollah invasion did not occur.
Nevertheless, Israel was so worried it would be unable to prevent a large Hezbollah invasion that it evacuated border communities such as Metula, Kiryat Shmona, and many other places. Tens of thousands of Israelis were displaced. Nearly 100,000 people were displaced from the Gaza border communities and in the North.
For a long time, it was unclear if Israel would be able to bring peace and protection to Metula. Drones would fly over the border from Lebanon, striking various sites. Rockets rained down. Houses were damaged.
When Israel finally began to seriously strike back in September 2024, Hezbollah suffered major losses. A ceasefire followed in November 2024.
The conflict escalated this past March again, following the Israeli and US strikes against Iran. This time, the IDF moved farther into Lebanon and cleared Hezbollah from villages, destroying many of the communities in the process.
Symbols of Israel's victory visible from Metula
From Metula today, the Hezbollah flags are gone. The Palestinian flag and the Aqsa Mosque billboard are gone.
This is a symbol of the victory here. Hezbollah can no longer sit on the border and provoke Israel. The privilege it had since 2006 is gone.
For years, it felt it could do what it wanted. It believed Israel was deterred. Iran also felt it had deterred Israel.
The fear in Israel over the years was that Hezbollah would launch a major invasion. It also had some 200,000 rockets, and this was seen as such a large number that it would be hard to stop them all.
The IDF’s innovations and Israel's intelligence operations, including the pager attack, weakened Hezbollah. But Hezbollah is not defeated or gone from Lebanon.
It is no longer on the border, however, and its encampments and underground facilities have been found and destroyed. There must be more work to be done.
Over two nights in the northern Galilee near Metula, I could hear explosions that appeared to come from Lebanon. Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure still exists in Lebanon, and Beirut has not disarmed the terrorist group.
It remains to be seen what comes next in the North with Hezbollah. What is clear, however, is that communities such as Metula have a chance to recover.
Visitors are coming back slowly. The hiking trails have people on them again. Restaurants are open. This is the beginning of an attempted return to more peace and quiet.
The removal of the Hezbollah flags and banners on the other side of the border is a symbol of getting rid of a threat that loomed over the North for years. That threat often thrived amid the UN vehicles. The UN failed to document the Hezbollah presence.
Whether the UN’s presence will be replaced with a new force is unclear. Whether the Lebanese Army can ever disarm Hezbollah or successfully secure this area is unclear. It has also abandoned southern Lebanon for decades.
The area near the Israeli border is now primarily cleared of Lebanese. Some Lebanese homes appear in the distance from Metula.
There doesn’t seem to be anyone visible on the other side of the border. What is visible are the IDF Humvees and bulldozers – and the feeling that Israel now has firm control.