Tourists return to kibbutzim in northern Israel — Jerusalem Post

In northern Israel, in the Hula Valley area near Kiryat Shmona and the border with Lebanon, the number of tourists increased again during the Sukkot holiday. The kibbutzim of Dafna and Amir are receiving visitors planning walks, hikes in the Golan, rafting on the Jordan River and trips to Kiryat Shmona.

As reported by the Jerusalem Post, in 2024 most residents of the region were evacuated, including the population of Kiryat Shmona. Hezbollah rocket and drone strikes were regularly recorded in the valley, to which Israeli artillery responded. A ceasefire was reached in November 2024.

Return of visitors

A journalist from the publication visited Kibbutz Dafna on September 29. The settlement, founded in 1939, has about 1,000 residents and is located near the Dan River. According to his observations, the kibbutz was filled with visitors during Sukkot, while the Italian restaurant in neighboring Kibbutz Amir was full in the evening.

Fortifications set up after October 7 over fears of a large-scale Hezbollah attack remain on the roads between the kibbutzim of Dan and HaGoshrim. One concrete fortification near Dafna has now become a place where children play.

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Signs of war remain

Despite the increased tourist activity, signs of the wartime situation remain in the region. At night, helicopters, explosions and sounds resembling artillery fire can be heard in the valley. The publication notes that their origin may be connected to Syria, exercises in the Golan or the controlled demolition of Hezbollah facilities in Lebanon.

On July 27, 2024, a Hezbollah rocket struck near a football field in the Druze town of Majdal Shams in the Golan, killing 12 children. On September 29, the Syrian government detained a terrorist cell in the Yarmouk Basin between the Golan and Jordan.

Old underground bunkers and modern fortified rooms near residential buildings also remain in communities in northern Israel. Some of the new protective structures were equipped after October 7.