Israelis are wary of returning to the north because they don't trust the ceasefire with Hezbollah

KIBBUTZ MALKIYA, Israel (AP) — Dean Sweetland casts his gaze over a forlorn street in the Israeli community of Kibbutz Malkiya. Perched on a hill overlooking the border with Lebanon, the town stands mostly empty after being abandoned a year ago.

The daycare is closed. The homes are unkempt. Parts of the landscape are ashen from fires sparked by fallen Hezbollah rockets. Even after a tenuous Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire designed to let Israelis return to the north, the mood here is far from celebratory.

“The ceasefire is rubbish,” said Sweetland, a gardener and member of the kibbutz’s civilian security squad. “Do you expect me to ring around my friends and say, ‘All the families should come home?’ No."

Across the border, Lebanese civilians have jammed roads in a rush to return to homes in the country's south, but most residents of northern Israel have met the ceasefire with suspicion and apprehension.

“Hezbollah could still come back to the border, and who will protect us when they do?” Sweetland asked.

Israel’s government seeks to bring the northern reaches of the country back to life, particularly the line of communities directly abutting Lebanon that have played a major role in staking out Israel’s border.

But the fear of Hezbollah, a lack of trust in United Nations peacekeeping forces charged with upholding the ceasefire, deep anger at the government and some Israelis' desire to keep rebuilding their lives elsewhere are keeping many from returning immediately.

When the truce took effect, about 45,000 Israelis had evacuated from the north. They fled their homes after Hezbollah began firing across the border on Oct. 8, 2023, in solidarity with its ally Hamas in Gaza. That triggered more than a year of cross-border exchanges, with Lebanese villages in the south and Israeli communities facing the border taking the brunt of the pain.

During the truce's initial 60-day phase, Hezbollah is supposed to remove its armed presence from a broad band of southern Lebanon where the military says the militant group had been digging in for years by gathering weapons and setting up rocket launch sites and other infrastructure. Under the ceasefire, a U.N. peacekeeping force known as UNIFIL and a beefed-up Lebanese army presence are supposed to ensure Hezbollah doesn’t return.

Many residents of northern Israel are skeptical that the peace will hold.

Sarah Gould, who evacuated Kibbutz Malkiya at the start of the war with her three kids, said Hezbollah fired on the community up to and just past the minute when the ceasefire took effect early Wednesday.

“So for the government to tell me that Hezbollah is neutralized," she said, "it’s a perfect lie.”

In Gaza, where Israel is pushing forward with a war that has killed over 44,000 Palestinians, Israel’s goal is the eradication of Hamas. But in Lebanon, Israel’s aims were limited to pushing Hezbollah away from the border so northern residents could return home.

Israeli critics say the government should have kept fighting to outright cripple Hezbollah or to clear out the border area, which is home to hundreds of thousands of Lebanese.

“I won’t even begin to consider going home until I know there’s a dead zone for kilometers across the border,” the 46-year-old Gould said.

Some wary Israelis trickled back home Thursday and Friday to areas farther from the border. But communities like Kibbutz Manara, set on a tiny slice of land between Lebanon and Syria, remained ghost towns.

Orna Weinberg, 58, who was born and raised in Manara, said it was too early to tell whether the ceasefire would protect the community.

Perched above all the other border villages, Manara was uniquely vulnerable to Hezbollah fire throughout the war. Three-quarters of its structures were damaged.

In the kibbutz’s communal kitchen and dining hall, ceiling beams have collapsed. The uprooted floorboards are covered with ash from fires that also claimed much of the kibbutz’s cropland.

Rocket fragments abound. The torso of a mannequin, a decoy dressed in army green, lies on the ground.

Weinberg tried to stay in Manara during the war, but after anti-tank shrapnel damaged her home, soldiers told her to leave. On Thursday, she walked along her street, which looks out directly over a UNIFIL position separating the kibbutz from a line of Lebanese villages that have been decimated by Israeli bombardment and demolitions.

Weinberg said UNIFIL hadn’t prevented Hezbollah’s build-up in the past, “so why would they be able to now?”

“A ceasefire here just gives Hezbollah a chance to rebuild their power and come back to places that they were driven out of,” she said.

The truce seemed fragile.

Associated Press reporters heard sporadic bursts of gunfire, likely Israeli troops firing at Lebanese attempting to enter the towns. Israel’s military says it is temporarily preventing Lebanese civilians from returning home to a line of towns closest to the border, until the Lebanese military can deploy there in force.

Though the atmosphere along the border was tense, Malkiya showed signs of peace. With Hezbollah’s rockets stopped, some residents returned briefly to the kibbutz to peer around cautiously.

At a vista overlooking the border, where the hulking wreckage of Lebanese villages could made out, a group of around 30 soldiers gathered. Just days ago, they would have made easy targets for Hezbollah fire.

Malkiya has sustained less damage than Manara. Still, residents said they would not return immediately. During a year of displacement, many have restarted their lives elsewhere, and the idea of going back to a front-line town on the border is daunting.

In Lebanon, where Israeli bombardment and ground assaults drove some 1.2 million people from their homes, some of the displaced crowded into schools-turned-shelters or slept in the streets.

In Israel, the government paid for hotels for evacuees and helped accommodate children in new schools. Gould predicted residents would return to the kibbutz only when government subsidies for their lodging dried up — “not because they want to, but because they feel like they can’t afford an alternative.”

“It’s not just a security issue,” Gould said. “We’ve spent more than a year rebuilding our lives wherever we landed. It’s a question of having to gather that up and move back somewhere else, somewhere that’s technically our old house but not a home. Nothing feels the same.”

It’s unclear if schools in the border communities will have enough students to reopen, Gould said, and her children are already enrolled elsewhere. She’s enjoyed living farther from the border, away from an open war zone.

There’s also a deep feeling that the communities were abandoned by the government, Sweetland said.

Sweetland is one of roughly 25 civilian security volunteers who stayed throughout the war, braving continual rocket fire to keep the kibbutz afloat. They repaired damaged homes, put out blazes and helped replace the kibbutz generator when it was taken out by Hezbollah fire. They were on their own, with no firefighters or police willing to risk coming, he said.

“We didn’t have any help for months and months and months, and we pleaded, ‘Please help us.’”

Sweetland said he will keep watching over the hushed pathways of the once-vibrant community in hopes his neighbors will soon feel safe enough to return. But he predicted it would take months.

Weinberg hopes to move back to Manara as soon as possible. On Thursday, she spotted a former neighbor who was about to leave after checking the damage to her home.

Weinberg grasped her hand through the car window, asking how she was. The woman grimaced and began to cry. Their hands parted as the car slowly rolled out through the gates and drove away.

A Lebanese village is seen through a window of a damaged house that was hit by a rocket fired from Lebanon, in the Kibbutz Manara, located in the upper Galilee, northern Israel, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Dean Sweetland walks past a damaged warehouse that, according to him, was hit by a rocket fired from Lebanon two days before the start of the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, in the Kibbutz Malkiya, northern Israel, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

A sign alerting there danger of mines decorates a wall of the house for teenagers residents of the Kibbutz Malkiya, in the upper Galilee, northern Israel, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Barbed wires are set on an area in front a house of the Kibbutz Manara, which is located near to the border with Lebanon in the northern Israel, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Naor Shamia, manager of the kibbutz emergency unit, stands at room of a house that was hit by a rocket fired from Lebanon, in the Kibbutz Manara, northern Israel, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

UN soldiers stand at a base of the United Nations peacekeeping forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) at the Israeli-Lebanese border, as seen from the Kibbutz Manara, northern Israel, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

CORRECTS SURNAME.- Orna Weinberg stands at the damaged dining hall, that was hit by a rocket fired from Lebanon, in the Kibbutz Manara, northern Israel, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

CORRECTS SURNAME.- Orna Weinberg stands at the damaged dining hall, that was hit by a rocket fired from Lebanon, in the Kibbutz Manara, northern Israel, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

CORRECTS SURNAME.- Orna Weinberg checks a damaged house of a family friend, that was hit by a rocket fired from Lebanon, in the Kibbutz Manara, northern Israel, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

A bed and toys are seen in a bedroom of a house that was hit by a rocket fired from Lebanon, in the Kibbutz Manara, northern Israel, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

A washing machine stands outside of a damaged house in the Kibbutz Manara, which is located near to the border with Lebanon, in the northern Israel, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

A damaged warehouse that was hit by a rocket fired from Lebanon two days before the start of the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, stands in the Kibbutz Malkiya, northern Israel, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

A hole next to a window shows the impact of a rocket fired from Lebanon, on a house of the Kibbutz Manara, located in the upper Galilee, northern Israel, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Dean Sweetland, left, talks to a neighbour who works in the Kibbutz Malkiya, northern Israel, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

CORRECTS SURNAME.- Orna Weinberg looks at the direction of the Israeli-Lebanese border as she stands on a building in the Kibbutz Manara, northern Israel, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Smoke rise next to damaged buildings on an area of a village in southern Lebanon, as seen from the Kibbutz Manara, northern Israel, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

A damaged room of a house is seen in the Kibbutz Manara, which is located near to the border with Lebanon, in the northern Israel, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

A mannequin lies on the ground of an alley in the Kibbutz Manara, which is located near to the border with Lebanon, in northern Israel, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

CINCINNATI (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers had stacked up five straight wins and pulled ahead in the race for the AFC North before letting one slip away to the lowly Browns on a snowy Thursday night in Cleveland.

The Steelers have a chance to get back on track Sunday against the reeling Bengals (4-7), whose own playoff hopes are dwindling.

“It’s a huge game — every game from here on out, especially since it’s an AFC North game, Bengals, one of our rivals," said Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith, who hopes to play after missing the past two games with an ankle injury. “It’s our first game against them this year, but just to bounce back after a loss is just going to be huge for us."

Pittsburgh (8-3) is still in first place in the division by a half game over the Baltimore Ravens, whom the Steelers have to face again on the Saturday before Christmas. The Steelers downed Baltimore 18-16 on Nov. 17, a week before their stumble in Cleveland.

For the Bengals, a loss to Pittsburgh on Sunday will all but end their chances of returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2022. Cincinnati has blown leads and struggled to finish close games, losing three of its past four.

“It’s December football,” Cincinnati coach Zac Taylor said. “This is where it means something. Regardless of what our record is right now, you need to play your best football in December. Now more than ever we’re going to need that from our guys. And they understand that.”

The Bengals' 4-7 record belies the fact that some of their players are putting up NFL-best numbers.

Entering Week 13, quarterback Joe Burrow is among the league leaders in completions (274), passing yards (3,028) and touchdowns (27). Burrow has expressed his frustration in recent weeks over the team's inability to close out opponents.

Star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is leading the NFL in yards receiving (1,056), yards after the catch (481) and touchdowns (12) going into Week 13. Edge rusher Trey Hendrickson is leading the league with 11 1/2 sacks.

The Steelers have raised some eyebrows recently by having Justin Fields take over for Russell Wilson during certain game situations, with mixed results.

Fields helped seal a victory over Baltimore two weeks ago by running for an 8-yard gain on Pittsburgh’s final drive. Fields was also behind center on Pittsburgh’s penultimate possession in Cleveland and threw incomplete down the sideline on third down — his first pass in more than a month — that gave the ball back to the Browns, who then drove for the winning score.

Bengals kicker Evan McPherson, who picked up the nickname “Money Mac” for his reliability in his first three seasons, is slumping badly and worked during the bye week trying to figure it out.

McPherson missed two field goals in the final eight minutes that would have given the Bengals the lead in the 34-27 loss to the Chargers Nov. 17. For the season, he's made 15 of 21 field-goal attempts for a 71.4% rate, which ranks near the bottom of the league. He's 3 of 5 in attempts of 40 to 50 yards, and 3 for 7 from beyond 50.

The AFC North is getting the in-season “Hard Knocks” treatment in a first-of-its-kind production that will focus on all four teams in the division rather than just one.

That includes the Steelers, who have avoided being featured in the documentary institution since its inception in 2001. Camera crews arrived in Pittsburgh on Halloween to start gathering footage for the series, and coach Mike Tomlin is treating their presence the same way he treats just about everything else: as a competition.

“To me, it’s something to conquer to be quite honest with you,” the NFL’s longest-tenured coach said. “We have to deal with it better than the other three teams. That’s how I view a lot of things that come across my plate, particularly when others have to deal with it."

The first episode of “Hard Knocks: In Season” debuts on Tuesday night.

AP Sports Writer Will Graves contributed.

AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Cincinnati Bengals place kicker Evan McPherson (2) lowers his head after missing on a field goal attempt during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) throws a pass under pressure from Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Morgan Fox (56) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) reaches but cannot make a catch in front of Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Tarheeb Still (29) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens (14) reacts after missing a pass in the second half of an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, in Cleveland. The Browns won 24-19. (AP Photo/David Richard)

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson throws a Hail Mary pass on the final play of the game in the second half of an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, in Cleveland. The Browns won 24-19. (AP Photo/David Richard)