Israel - Recent

Storyline:
Residents in northern Israel bordering with Lebanon express concern over the escalation of fighting with Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.

On Thursday, about 45 projectiles were fired from Lebanon at northern Israel amid an escalation of an eight-month-long cross-border fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

It was the second consecutive day that Hezbollah fired heavy barrages of rockets into northern Israel in retaliation for an Israeli airstrike that killed one of its senior commanders.

As hostilities escalate, over 60,000 Israelis from 43 communities have been evacuated from northern border towns.

Rockets and drone strikes are triggering air-raid sirens in northern Israeli communities on a now-daily basis, giving local residents mere seconds to take cover.

Just days ago, a missile hit the very street where the shelter is situated.

Malka doesn't want his family to come back to this border town.

Near the shelter, a newly-built and now evacuated house, was hit twice in the last few weeks. It used to belong to a family of four.

Their neighbor, Nissim Weizman, also chooses to stay, despite government orders to leave.

Weizman's wife Aviva was evacuated to a hotel in Tel Aviv eight months ago, along with the couple's daughter.

Lieutenant Colonel Sarit Zehavi is the founder of the Alma center, which studies the security challenges on Israel's northern borders. The center is about 12 kilometers from the Lebanon border.

Zehavi, who has spent her career in intelligence, said Hezbollah has the capacity and capability to fire thousands of rockets and drones into Israel per day.

Hezbollah has announced that it will increase attacks against Israel. In response, Israeli troops are now being trained and the military is also moving tanks to the north.

"We are on the verge of war over here in the north which we didn't initiate, we didn't want. We have no business in Lebanon, I wish I could go to Lebanon as a tourist, I wish there was peace with the Lebanese. We are dealing with great enemies that want me out of here and maybe even want me dead," said Zehavi.

Shotlist:
Israel - Recent:
1. Yuval Malka, resident from northern Israel, in music store;
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Yuval Malka, resident from northern Israel (starting with shot 1):
"It's very hard to be here, every boom that I hear makes me freeze. I'm hoping for better days but now I'm stuck to my place and I'm not going to leave here. I'm here to stay.";
3. Various of Yuval Malka, reporter, walking on empty street, getting into shelter;
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Yuval Malka, resident from northern Israel (with reporter asking question):
"Sometimes the alarm starts to work after the missile gets to the ground."
(Reporter: It's a harsh reality.)
"Yeah.";
Israel - Recent
5. Security camera footage showing attacks;
Israel - Recent
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Yuval Malka, resident from northern Israel:
"We don't trust the government that after the war, Hezbollah will stay away from here for like, I don't know, 20, 30, 40 years... they are trying, they are looking for the next chance.";
7. Various of house after attacks, rubble;
8. Nissim Weizman, resident from northern Israel, reporter, walking on street, talking;
9. Rubble;
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Nissim Weizman, resident from northern Israel (starting with shot 9):
"I'm protecting my place. I don't want to leave my house, my environment. When I go to sleep, I sleep very well in my house, even when the rockets fall. I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid. I'm staying here.";
Israel - Recent
11. Various of Aviva Weizman, wife of Nissim Weizman, in hotel;
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Aviva Weizman, displaced resident:
"The situation is tearing families apart. People are getting divorced, asking for divorce. Children are dropping out of school and all the family bonding is becoming weakened.";
13. Lieutenant Colonel Sarit Zehavi, founder of Alma center, showing map to reporter;
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Lieutenant Colonel Sarit Zehavi, founder, Alma center (partially overlaid with shot 15):
"This means a lot of hits, the Iron Dome would not be able to cover everything, we may be cut off from electricity, cut off from the internet. We are on the verge of war over here in the north which we didn't initiate, we didn't want. We have no business in Lebanon, I wish I could go to Lebanon as a tourist, I wish there was peace with the Lebanese. We are dealing with great enemies that want me out of here and maybe even want me dead."
[SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE];
15. Various of Sarit Zehavi showing map to reporter
[SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE];
16. Sarit Zehavi showing weapon picture to reporter.

[Restriction - No access Chinese mainland/Iran/Russia]