Mayor of northern border town slams ceasefire, says it doesn’t address the threat to locals

The ceasefire with Hezbollah is “a bad agreement for the State of Israel,” Metula Mayor David Azoulay tells The Times of Israel, as it’s an “agreement that does not address the threat to the residents of the north.”

“It saddens me that this is the decision of the most right-wing government Israel has ever had. The agreement does not provide security for the residents of the north and will not allow them to return to their homes safely,” Azoulay says in a written statement responding to a query.

The ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed terror group came into effect at 4 a.m. on Wednesday, bringing an end to almost 14 months of fighting. Under the terms of the deal, the IDF has 60 days to withdraw from southern Lebanon, where the Lebanese Army will gradually take responsibility. IDF troops fired warning shots at people trying to approach several Lebanese villages on this afternoon as part of efforts to prevent people from reaching areas where troops are still positioned.

Azoulay was one of several northern mayors who criticized the agreement ahead of its approval by the cabinet on Tuesday evening, calling it “a surrender deal” during an interview with Channel 12 news.