An unresolved disagreement between the Defense and Interior ministries leaves Israel unprepared to adequately evacuate residents of northern communities if the conflict with Hezbollah escalates, State Comptroller Matanyahu Englman warned on Thursday.
“The unresolved reality, nine months into the war, at a time when tens of thousands of people from two areas of Israel are displaced from their homes, with the looming possibility of a war in the north, is unacceptable,” Englman wrote in a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Interior Minister Moshe Arbel maintains that his ministry is only responsible for evacuating residents to shelter in local schools when ordered by the government. Anyone relocating to a hotel, or voluntarily, is the Defense Ministry’s responsibility, according to Arbel.
However, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant maintains that the Interior Ministry is responsible for all evacuees, regardless of whether they evacuated voluntarily or by government instruction.