Israel has announced a government decision to extend the period of assistance, adjustment and duration of the displacement for residents of northern and southern communities, as well as for hostages, the missing and their family members, until 31 December 2024.
At least 62,500 Israelis were evacuated in October from communities along the northern border; more than 60,000 citizens were evacuated from their homes in southern Israel when the October 7th war broke out.
Independent housing grants, grants for unemployed displaced residents or those from communities whose residents were evacuated in the context of the Iron Swords War, as well as grants to encourage employment among these groups will be provided as part of the decision, the Prime Minister’s Office said.
The plan was proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu together with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Tourism Minister Haim Katz.
It is estimated the decision will require a budget of approximately NIS 3.3 billion.
Smotrich will be tasked with confirming the decision as part of the amended Budgetary Frameworks Law to be submitted for Knesset approval.
However, the move requires legislation, with only five days remaining in which to accomplish the task.
Israelis who were evacuated from the north were outraged to discover on Sunday that the government had redirected NIS 200 million from the budget for their support to fund assistance for Israelis who fled the south, and whose assistance had been set to expire on August 31.
The Finance Ministry has said the funds will be returned to the allocation for northern Israelis once the amended budget is approved by the Knesset – but few of those in the north believe it.
Moshe Davidovitz, chairman of the Northern Frontline Settlements Forum and head of the Mateh Asher Regional Council, told Ynet that the government is ignoring the 280,000 residents evacuated from and still living in 23 municipalities.
“The Israeli government passed a resolution in which the budget that was approved for us only three months ago for 2024 was cut by 940 million shekels, and now about 200 million shekels is being cut from it,” Northern Frontline Settlements Forum chair and Mateh Asher Regional Council head Moshe Davidovitz told Ynet’s Yair Kraus.
“The ink has not dried yet and they are already laundering the same money that was not given to us. This is absurdity while the north is the target of Hezbollah’s attacks. The government is doing its thing, cutting funds. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and we are invisible.
“We are talking about the line of retreat in the north that has become a line of conflict,” Davidovitz added.
“We will not allow this line to be the new border.”
