‘Schools under fire’: Israeli State Comptroller visits Northern Israeli schools
Highlighting hardships faced by residents of northern Israel, State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman visited schools in Tiberias and Kibbutz Kfar Blum that are currently hosting students evacuated from Kiryat Shmona and the Upper Galilee region.
The Magenim Elementary School in the evacuated city northern Israeli city of Kiryat Shmona stands empty on Sept. 5, 2024. Photo by Yoav Dudkevitch/TPS-IL
The visit came one day after a Hezbollah rocket barrage sparked a fire near the kibbutz.
The comptroller, also known as the state ombudsman, periodically releases reports auditing Israeli preparedness and the effectiveness of government policies.
“We are standing in a school that operates under fire. It is the anchor for the children, parents, and teachers,” Englman said at the Hagome School in Kfar Blum.
Englman, who was joined on his tour by Kiryat Shmona Mayor Avihay Stern and Upper Galilee Regional Council Head Giora Zaltz, warned in June that the government is not prepared to adequately evacuate residents of northern communities if the conflict with Hezbollah escalates.
“I call on the Prime Minister and government officials to come to the north. We cannot abandon this region. Resources must be allocated amid the ongoing tension. Schools here are keeping up a routine, but under fire,” Englman stressed.
Englman met a sixth-grade student who had already moved eight times over the past year, while another child described witnessing a missile strike that injured his father, narrowly escaping harm himself.
“One student told me his father has been out of work for eight months and hasn’t received compensation because he didn’t evacuate,” the Comptroller shared. “These are significant challenges for the education system, for the children, and for the residents.”
He concluded by emphasizing the critical role schools play in the resilience of northern communities. “Alongside the 250 students here at Kfar Blum, another 300 children are spread across the region, constantly under fire from Hezbollah. The education system is essential to supporting the people of the north during this difficult time.”
According to figures released by the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) Hezbollah fired 1,307 rockets at northern Israel in August, an average of 40 rockets daily.
Nearly 80,000 Israelis were forced to evacuate their homes near the Lebanon border when Hezbollah began launching rockets and drones in October. Hezbollah leaders have said they will continue the attacks to prevent Israelis from returning to their homes. The attacks have killed 26 civilians and 20 soldiers on the Israeli side.
Since October 8, Hezbollah has launched more than 6,700 rockets and drones.
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.
