METULA – For the first time in three years, Israel’s northernmost community reopened its Hanadiv Elementary School on Tuesday, with 36 students in grades one to six. Another 18 children began the school year in a freshly reopened kindergarten.
The Metula school had been closed from October 8, 2023, when Hezbollah began firing rockets, missiles and drones at Israel in solidarity with fellow terror group Hamas. The picturesque town became the scene of near-daily devastation, forcing nearly all of its 2,100 residents to flee. Prior to the 2023 war, 75 children had attended the elementary school.
Since the November 27, 2024, ceasefire, roughly 65% of the town’s residents on the Israel-Lebanon border have returned, a Metula spokesperson told The Times of Israel. Today, the northern border felt peaceful, with IDF soldiers sitting in cafes enjoying the relatively mild weather.
Speaking with The Times of Israel at the celebratory school reopening, Metula native Shimon Gino said he moved back a month ago with his wife, Noa, and their four children.
“Moving back here won’t be easy, but kids can adjust, and they’re very excited,” Shimon said. “We have to rebuild the community from scratch.”
