On October 20, 2026, the Ukrainian publication UA.NEWS published a report by journalist Kristina Lomenko, prepared after a trip to the northern border of Israel. The main conclusion of the material also applies to Ukraine: the enemy is capable of emptying an entire region without even capturing its territory.
Author: Pavel Shveyko | NANews
The press tour was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel and the Israeli Embassy in Ukraine. NANews has already reported on this trip: Ukrainian journalists met with representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, visited the Hadassah hospital in Jerusalem, and the Holodomor victims memorial.
Now there is a report on the most painful side of the Israeli experience — life at the border, from where people are forced to leave due to the constant threat of attacks.
60,000 evacuated and 43 deserted communities
In Upper Galilee, Ukrainian journalists met with Sarit Zehavi, a reserve lieutenant colonel and founder of the ALMA research center, which studies security threats to Israel from Lebanon and Syria.
According to her data, due to shelling and the threat of a Hezbollah invasion, more than 60,000 residents of northern Israel have left their homes. Forty-three border communities were evacuated. For about a year and a half, schools, businesses, agriculture, and the tourism industry could not function normally there.
In the area of the briefing, about ten kilometers from Lebanon, after the siren, there are about 15 seconds to take cover. Closer to the border, the warning sometimes comes almost simultaneously with the strike.
Zehavi showed journalists Hezbollah’s 2014 video materials with a plan to attack Shlomi and Nahariya with forces of five thousand fighters from the elite Radwan unit. A full-scale invasion did not occur then, but the rockets and constant threat were enough for people to leave their towns and villages.
The researcher also reminded of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which provided for restrictions on the presence of armed groups south of the Lebanese Litani River. In her assessment, these restrictions did not ensure the security of the northern border.
Why even the ‘Iron Dome’ is not enough
The Israeli missile defense system successfully intercepts many rockets, but anti-tank means and small FPV drones at short distances create another problem.
The report describes attacks on vehicles on open roads, the use of drones against residential buildings, and GPS jamming. Cheap weapons can make everyday life dangerous even without a large-scale offensive.
NANews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency
There is also an important Ukrainian aspect. According to Zehavi, Israeli specialists are studying the Ukrainian experience in combating small drones. Earlier, we wrote about Israel receiving samples of Russian weapons from Ukraine for study.
This is no longer a one-sided exchange of knowledge: Ukraine can study the protection of the Israeli border area, and Israel — Ukrainian methods of countering drones.
Why destroying weapons does not yet mean eliminating the threat
A significant part of the briefing was devoted to the structure of Hezbollah itself. With Iran’s support, the group has created its own network of schools, medical, and social institutions in the Shiite areas of Lebanon, strengthening the population’s dependence on the organization.
According to Zehavi, ideology and such a system of influence help Hezbollah persist even after serious military losses. Therefore, destroying missile installations is not enough for the threat to disappear.
The consequences continue to be felt in Israel. Even after military operations and ceasefire agreements, only 40–60% of former residents have returned to some northern communities. People fear a repeat of attacks similar to the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, 2023.
What this experience means for Ukraine: conclusions by Kristina Lomenko
Based on the trip to Israel, journalist Kristina Lomenko concludes: victory is not enough to hold or liberate territory if people cannot live safely on it.
She draws a direct parallel with Ukraine, where the Russian army, with missile strikes, drones, and constant shelling, makes civilian life impossible even in settlements that remain under Ukrainian control.
In Lomenko’s opinion, the experience of northern Israel also shows another danger: even military successes, modern air defense, and the cessation of active hostilities do not guarantee the return of evacuated residents. As long as the enemy is capable of striking civilian objects, entire areas risk remaining half-empty for years.
The main lesson for Ukraine, which the journalist draws from what she saw in Israel, is that it is necessary not only to protect and return territories but also to create conditions where people can live, work, and raise children without constant fear.
It is precisely the restoration of security and the residents’ trust in it that Lomenko considers one of the most important tasks of Ukraine’s post-war recovery.