"Sense of security has dropped": Gaza border residents fear Hamas strengthening

Residents of the Gaza border communities express concern over Hamas's strengthening and the thinning of military forces, noting that their sense of security has declined. Ilanit Siosa from Kfar Aza says she does not see a restoration of the sense of security, and Yael Raz Lahiani from Nahal Oz describes a return to a harsh reality. Additionally, Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Liberman attacked Netanyahu at Kerem Shalom over the entry of aid trucks into Gaza.

Residents of the Gaza border communities express concern over Hamas's strengthening and the thinning of military forces, noting that their sense of security has declined. Ilanit Siosa, a resident of Kibbutz Kfar Aza, said in an interview with Walla that "in recent times, residents are beginning to return to Kfar Aza; the only component if people return is security, and I do not currently see the restoration of the sense of security." She added that she fears Hamas's strengthening and expects the military to act on the matter, and that due to recent reports, there is concern about returning. Yael Raz Lahiani, a resident of Nahal Oz who returned to her home, recounted that "we returned to a reality where things happen; the residents' sense of security is declining, on one hand there is a thinning of military forces and on the other a strengthening of Hamas." She expressed fear of a future infiltration of terrorists into the community. Additionally, Yisrael Beiteinu chairman, MK Avigdor Liberman, attacked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday at the Kerem Shalom crossing regarding the entry of aid trucks into the Gaza Strip, claiming that Israel is succumbing to American dictates and that "we are in a complete return to the same concept and containment that brought us to the October 7 massacre."