Life in Shtula: A Village on the Edge

The Israeli village of Shtula is nestled just south of the Lebanon border, so perilously close that the resonating thud of artillery echoing through the near-deserted streets originates from the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah, rather than from the Israeli Defense Forces (I.D.F.). On the Israeli side, I.D.F. tanks and armored vehicles are visibly mobilizing as the military amplifies its ground operations in Lebanon.

The increasing militarization along the northern border, coupled with relentless rocket and missile attacks attributed to Hezbollah, has resulted in a near-empty landscape across the towns and villages adjacent to the border. These areas are now primarily patrolled by I.D.F. troops and local civilian security forces, all of which have been designated as “military zones” by the I.D.F.

For the few residents who have chosen to remain or return to their homes in nearby villages, daily life is now disrupted by the shrill alarms signaling incoming rockets, the explosive sounds of Iron Dome interceptions, or the deep, resonant blasts of rockets and missiles impacting the earth.

One such resident, Idan Isach-Erez, aged 42, evacuated her home in the nearby Moshav Betzet following the onset of rocket fire by Hezbollah on October 8 of last year—a mere day after the devastating Hamas-led attack on southern Israel. After a nine-month absence, she has returned home.

“While it’s undeniably a harsh environment for my children, and fear still lingers in the air, we must prioritize what truly matters,” Isach-Erez expressed, emphasizing her need to reunite with her husband to maintain the unity of their family and their business. Her 8-year-old daughter has taken to scavenging their yard for fragments of shrapnel, always mindful to stay within sprinting distance of their above-ground bomb shelter adjacent to their residence.

Meanwhile, Ishai Efroni, a member of the kibbutz Matzuva and the director of Security and Emergency Services for the Mateh Asher Regional Council, oversees the safety of 32 communities in northern Israel. His days are consumed with responding to rocket strikes and potential security threats across these regions. The kibbutz that once boasted a population of 1,300 now harbors only about 50 residents, all of whom are engaged in either security operations, reservist duties with the I.D.F., or essential roles aimed at keeping track of the dispersed families of Matzuva.