National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir says Kiryat Shmona will now be treated almost entirely as a zone
By Sammy,
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir says Kiryat Shmona will now be treated almost entirely as a zone eligible for private firearms permits, a move he announced during a meeting of his Otzma Yehudit faction held in the northern city. Under the decision, all residential neighborhoods will be included, with the industrial area excluded, a step he said is meant to allow remaining residents to defend themselves alongside an expanded police presence.
The announcement comes amid a dramatic rise in gun permit requests since the October 7 Hamas attack. In the months that followed, the ministry broadened the circle of officials authorized to approve licenses, including political staffers and Knesset employees, a process that later drew police probes over allegedly improper approvals. Ben Gvir has claimed roughly 230,000 new licenses have been issued since he began pushing to expand civilian gun ownership, though women's organizations warn that the growing number of weapons in homes increases risks, particularly in cases of domestic abuse.
Ben Gvir also linked the new policy to efforts to bring residents back to the battered border town, noting that only about three-fifths of the population has returned and that many businesses remain shuttered. He pointed to hundreds of millions of shekels allocated for the city's recovery and said more must be done to restore and expand Kiryat Shmona after most of its roughly 24,000 residents were forced to flee during months of Hezbollah rocket and drone fire that followed the October 7 attack, with evacuations only easing after a ceasefire in late 2024.
Topics: Lebanon & Hezbollah, Gaza, Missile Defense & Alerts
Reported by Sammy for Bernie News Network. See our editorial standards and corrections policy.