Ministerial Fight Leaves Israel Unprepared to Evacuate North if War Escalates, State Comptroller Warns

Jerusalem, 27 June, 2024 (TPS) -- An unresolved disagreement between the Defense and Interior ministries leaves Israel unprepared to adequately evacuate residents of northern communities if the conflict with Hezbollah escalates, State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman warned on Thursday.

“The unresolved reality, nine months into the war, at a time when tens of thousands of people from two areas of Israel are displaced from their homes, with the looming possibility of a war in the north, is unacceptable,” Englman wrote in a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Interior Minister Moshe Arbel maintains that his ministry is only responsible for evacuating residents to shelter in local schools when ordered by the government. Anyone relocating to a hotel, or voluntarily, is the Defense Ministry’s responsibility, according to Arbel.

However, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant maintains that the Interior Ministry is responsible for all evacuees, regardless of whether they evacuated voluntarily or by government instruction.

Resolving the ministerial impasse “is of paramount importance in regulating the treatment of the evacuated population,” Englman wrote.

The comptroller, also known as the state ombudsman, periodically releases reports auditing Israeli preparedness and the effectiveness of government policies.

Since October 7, Hezbollah rocket barrages and drone attacks have killed 10 civilians and 15 soldiers. Leaders of the Iran-backed terror group have said they will continue the attacks to prevent thousands of residents of northern Israel from returning to their homes.

Israeli officials have been calling for Hezbollah to be disarmed and removed from Southern Lebanon in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War.

Hezbollah’s rocket fire has intensified since June as Israeli and Hezbollah leaders have escalated their rhetoric.

Speaking with reporters in Washington on Wednesday, Gallant said Israel could send Lebanon “back to the Stone Age.”