March 26, 2026 | Northern Israel Crisis Report
In one of the most anguished municipal addresses of the ongoing conflict, Kiryat Shmona Mayor Avichai Stern delivered a devastating verdict about his own city, warning that Israel’s northernmost major city is slipping away, not to enemy rockets alone, but to government neglect.
In a gut-wrenching plea, Stern slammed the Israeli government for abandoning the North, pointing to 10-second rocket warnings, 4,700 unfortified homes, and a blocked 24/7 medical center, accusing bureaucratic neglect of finishing what Hezbollah started.
The mayor said he wakes up every morning feeling that “the State of Israel is fighting me, not Iran, not Lebanon, not my enemies of me,” delivering the remarks during a Wednesday meeting with local authority heads that was later posted on social media.
“It doesn’t matter how we end the conflict in Lebanon or Iran if we lose a city in the State of Israel, it will be the first time a city in our country simply disappears,” Stern warned. “Hezbollah already won, regardless of what happens.”
Since resuming its attacks on March 2, Hezbollah has been firing an average of about 150 rockets per day, according to the IDF, with roughly one-third of those aimed directly at Israeli communities.
Mayor Stern had previously warned it was “a matter of time” before a major tragedy occurred, citing dangerously short reaction windows that leave elderly residents and those with disabilities unable to reach protected spaces in time.
Residents describe nights as the worst, with explosions so close they feel like they’re coming directly into the room, and no one sleeping more than two hours at a stretch. During the day, people venture out only between sirens to gather supplies.
In a partial response, the Israeli government approved approximately NIS 60 million for frontline communities within 9 kilometers of the border, with Netanyahu calling residents’ resilience “inspiring.” Foreign Policy Stern, however, called the measures too little, too late.
“Sources: JFeed, The Jerusalem Post, Times of Israel, Associated Press (via US News), Anash.org”
