Beginning on March 1, the government will provide a series of financial benefits to residents of the North who return to their homes after being evacuated since the October 7 massacre in 2023, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Minister in the Finance Ministry Ze’ev Elkin said Sunday.
The program is predicated on security assessments, and residents may begin returning home in March, they said at a press conference at the Finance Ministry in Jerusalem.
Smotrich said Israelis should wait “15 days” (until US President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20) to understand what these assessments were based on.
He hinted that an IDF presence may remain in southern Lebanon despite Israel’s commitment to remove its troops by January 27 as part of the 60-day ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah.
Last month, the government approved an extension of funding for hotels or rent for evacuees until the end of February. It also approved funds for local authorities to prepare infrastructure for residents’ return, such as renovating public buildings and preparing schools and colleges to resume activities.
A third government decision is pending that will include two types of personal stipends, Elkin said.
The first is a “returning home stipend,” worth NIS 15,360 per adult and 7,680 per child, he said.
Evacuees who have been renting apartments will automatically receive the stipend and then decide whether to remain in place until the end of the school year (end of June) or return immediately.
Evacuees still in hotels may continue doing so to complete the school year, but the longer they wait, the smaller the stipends they will receive when they return home.
The second stipend is a “property stipend.”
Stipends require proof
Many houses suffered damage due to the long absence of residents, even if they were not directly hit by rockets.
Evacuees returning home will thus be able to choose between two options: a standard stipend of NIS 10,000 per adult and 5,000 per child; or an option to sue for compensation based on Israel Tax Authority appraisals.
A family with four children that is either in a hotel and decides to return home in March or is renting an apartment could receive more than NIS 100,000 (NIS 60,000 for the returning home stipend and NIS 40,000 for the property stipend).
All stipends will be subject to proof of ownership of a home in the North or a valid rental agreement, Elkin said, adding that this is intended to ensure that the only people receiving the stipend will be those who will return to live in the North.
The current program was the first step in incentivizing residents to return home, and the government is creating a five-year plan to invest in growth in the North, he said.
The program’s cost is NIS 3.4 billion, which will be funded in part by NIS 15b. put aside in the 2024 budget and in part out of the 2025 budget, which is moving through the legislative process in the Knesset.
Moshe Davidovich, head of the Mateh Asher Regional Council and chairman of the Frontline Forum, praised Smotrich and Elkin for the program and said the evacuated northern residents were beginning to have hope.
Dubi Amitai, chairman of the Presidium of the Israeli Business Sector, said while the program was an “important step in contributing to the return of the residents,” the “disconnect between the return of the residents and a plan for the region’s growth is incorrect and should be fixed quickly.
“Israel’s government must adopt a policy that [proves to] the residents returning home that the region will not return to what it was on October 6, but that it will be a different place experiencing economic and social growth.”