Video of the main boulevard and boardwalk in the northern city of Nahariya on the day of the ceasefire.
The historic Hezbollah-Israel ceasefire was finally reached on November 27, 2024, after almost 14 months of war. Aside from a couple of violations by Hezbollah, the ceasefire has remained in place, with the government also monitoring the Syrian border in light of the recent upheaval.
Home Front Command directives for Nahariya on the day of the Hezbollah-Israel ceasefire, November 27, 2024. (Screenshot Via IDF Home Front Command App)
On the day of the ceasefire, the Home Front Command had not yet loosened restrictions for many areas, including in Nahariya, a northern town close to the Lebanese border (see the screenshot above). On November 30, restrictions were relaxed, and the current guidelines for Nahariya at the time of publication permit gatherings of up to 200 people outdoors, and up to 600 people indoors.
Three new, small shelters on the main blvd. (Top-Left) Shelter at Nahariya train station. (Top-Middle): Shelter on Ga'aton Blvd. The Hebrew writing inside reads, "Non-Protected Area," (Top-Right) Deep inside the same shelter it reads, "Protected Area." The three bottom photos show various angles of another, even smaller shelter on Ga'aton Blvd. (Photos: © Janis Raisen / © Israel Sites and Sights)
With close proximity to Lebanon, residents of Nahariya have only 15 seconds to find shelter during an air raid siren, compared to the 1.5 minutes for those in central Israel. After the war broke out, the city installed several small public shelters around town. This type of protective space is called a "migonit" in Hebrew. According to local residents, additional ones have recently been added, including three along Ga'aton Blvd (refer to the photos above).
“I am happy today because I feel free. I can walk without fear, I can walk far, wherever my feet take me.”
Just a few hours after the ceasefire went into effect, Israel Sites and Sights traveled to Nahariya to speak to residents, and get their initial, spontaneous reactions, while the ceasefire was still very fresh.
One elderly man was walking out of a restaurant with his family, and he was happy to chat about the ceasefire, but he didn’t want his name used. He said he felt relaxed walking around with the ceasefire in place, but was afraid to be out during the war, with only 15 seconds to seek shelter.
He explained that if the missile interception occurs directly above you, you have less than the expected 15 seconds to react, based on his personal experience. When a missile was intercepted over his head on Ga'aton Blvd., he explained, he quickly took cover behind a city garbage bin
When asked why he didn’t lie on the ground and cover his head as per the Home Front Command directives, he explained, “When you see it overhead, you panic. You don’t have time to think."
Nahariya resident Tatiana Churakov went for a walk on the day of the Hezbollah-Israel ceasefire. (Photo: © Janis Raisen / © Israel Sites and Sights)
The boardwalk was quiet and peaceful, just as it had been before the war. The weather was rainy and cool, but for long-time Nahariya resident Tatiana Churakov, the weather didn't faze her.
Nahariya resident Tatiana Churakov went for a walk on the day of the Hezbollah-Israel ceasefire, (Photo: © Janis Raisen / © Israel Sites and Sights)
Bursting with joy and grinning from ear to ear, Churakov exclaimed, "Isn't it great to feel free!" She continued, "I woke up this morning, and I couldn’t believe it [the ceasefire] had happened."
"I can now walk without fear," she explained. "Before, whenever I went for a walk, I always thought, ‘If there’s a siren, where will I go?' I had to know all the places with shelters. If I was walking here [near the beach], I would have to lie down in the sand and cover my head. When I drove to work, I didn’t know what to do if I had to stop along the way," she continued. "That was the most frightening part. I was always thinking about what I would do if there was a siren. I took something [soft] with me in case I needed to lie down on the ground.” Despite the constant fear, she didn't encounter air raid sirens while walking or driving.
When Churakov left her house on that monumental, joyous morning, aside from being liberated and free from fear, she noticed the drastic change from just a few hours earlier, when it had been impossible to escape the overwhelming noise.
“When there weren’t sirens, there were always sounds of explosions, and the sound of planes overhead. Even when missiles were launched at the Krayot (a cluster of townships north of Haifa), everyone could hear it from here.”
Churakov emigrated from Kiev (Kyiv), Ukraine, 20 years ago, and has lived in Nahariya ever since. She teaches classical ballet in Nahariya and in neighboring towns. Throughout the war, her community tried to maintain a sense of normalcy.
“Since October 8, 2023, we worked, we kept up our routine as much as possible, while constantly living in fear, wondering, 'will it happen [missiles being launched] or won’t it?'"
With a positive outlook, and hope for the future, Churakov, embraced the historic day.
“I hope this is the beginning of returning to life— living—returning to a normal life," Churakov said. "I am happy today because I feel free. I can walk without fear, I can walk far, wherever my feet take me."
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