Israeli city close to Lebanon is a virtual ghost town after civilians flee, fearing Hezbollah will carry out a Hamas-style incursion to rape and kill families… with gun shop one of the few stores open

• Four-in-five residents of Kyriat Shmona, Israel, have abandoned their homes
• Many fear a Hamas-style attack by Hezbollah terrorists from the north
• But some have chosen to stay and defend their homes 

Israel’s most northern city is a ghost town haunted by fear of an attack from Hezbollah – where one of the few stores still open is a gun shop selling weapons to the few residents who have not fled.

Surrounded by Lebanon to the west and the north and Syria to the east, Kyriat Shmona is closer to Beirut and Damascus than Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

Hezbollah fighters are massed at the frontier as little as a mile away and send over their rockets every evening after prayers. Automatic gunfire is heard every day.

To add to the sense that this is a front line, fire was visible on the Lebanon side of the border from an Israeli artillery bombardment of a Hezbollah position on the mountain side this morning. 

Last night the Israeli Defence Force had carried out a series of air strikes in Lebanon as they try to prevent the almost inevitable attack by the Iranian-backed terror group on the Jewish state.

Retired scientist Arieh Dekel (pictured) says he isn’t planning on leaving the city any time soon

Four in five Kyriat Shmona residents have already fled the city following Hamas’ attack on Israel earlier this month 

Kyriat Shmona is Israel’s most northern town, and is closer to Beirut and Damascus than Tel Aviv and Jerusalem

Armoured personnel carriers can be seen patrolling the streets of the city 

READ MORE: Battle to eliminate Hamas could take up to three months, IDF warns

Eight out of ten of the city’s 22,000 population have fled, many choosing to stay with family in safer parts of Israel or being put up in hotels and guest houses at the government’s expense.

Armoured personnel carriers roll through the city’s deserted streets. The supermarket has been forced to stay open, but the aisles are deserted, and parking is no longer a problem.

Only one shop is busy – the Trigger AT Ltd. registered gun shop. Residents from the ethnically diverse ‘Finger of Galilee’ region – Jews, Christians, Arabs and Druze – wait patiently to pay £700 for a new Smith and Weston automatic pistol. Boxes of the handguns are stacked on the shop floor.

They fear that Hezbollah will follow Hamas’ lead and send fighters across the border to kill, rape and kidnap families in their homes.

‘Kiryat Shmona has never been like this before,’ explained supermarket worker Eti Schori.

The city has become a ghost town since its population left

Supermarkets have been forced to stay open, but no one is going in them 

Fire was visible on the Lebanon side of the border from an Israeli artillery bombardment of a Hezbollah position on the mountain side this morning

READ MORE: Hamas fighters were carrying instructions on how to make chemical weapons when they launched horrifying Kibbutz massacre, Israel’s President Isaac Herzog claims

‘There was panic throughout the town after what happened down south.

‘Everyone fears that the same could happen here. That is everyone’s major concern.

‘We have got used to living with rocket strikes but the Hamas attack on civilians in their homes was something new, terrifying.

‘We feel like we have been betrayed. We were told Israel had the best army in the world. How could they have let this happen?

‘The supermarket is empty but we cannot close. We have been ordered to stay open by the government but at reduced hours.’

Outside the gun-shop, retired scientist Arieh Dekel stops for a few moments while on his way to the firing range.

The 85-year-old announces proudly: ‘I’ve bought a new gun and I’m going to the firing range to practise. 

Arieh Dekel proudly showed off his new gun that he bought following the news of Hamas’ attack on Israel 

He said he’s already trained in hand-to-hand combat

‘If Hezbollah come to my house, I will let them in and then shoot them. I’m not frightened of the terrorists,’ said Arieh

Michael Katsman (pictured, left) and his son were walking their dog Gucci through the deserted streets

‘I know how to fight in close combat. I cannot compete with machine gun fire. But if Hezbollah come to my house, I will let them in and then shoot them. I’m not frightened of the terrorists.

‘I live 100 metres from the border with Lebanon. I can hear them shouting bad words and see them walking around.

‘Every once in a while they try to penetrate the border fence but our army is too good for them.’

He adds: ‘I have six children – they live all over Israel. They are trying to drag me away from here. But I don’t want to leave.’

Druze elder Rafa explains why he is buying a gun.

Business has been booming for Trigger AT, one of the few shops in Kyriat Shmona still open

Hundreds are rushing in to arm themselves in case of attack by Hezbollah forces

Owner Pe’er said he had sold 200 guns in the last few days

The gun shop holds the gun licenses of several people in the city 

He says: ‘We are planning for our safety. Everyone wants to buy a gun now. We want to take care of our family and be safe.’

Among the few people determined to stay are security guard Michael Katsman and his family.

He moved to Kiryat Shmona from Kyiv, Ukraine in 1990. And he doesn’t want to leave.

While out walking his dog Gucci with his nine-year-old son Gabriel in the middle-class neighbourhood of Yuvalim Quarter, he explained: ‘Everyone has left. But I want to die in my own house.

‘We have four dogs – Gucci and her three puppies – and we are not going to leave them.

‘Of course we worry. We hear gunfire and rockets all the time.

‘When they have completed their afternoon prayers, at about 5pm, Hezbollah start to send over their rockets.

Armed IDF soldiers were seen patrolling the streets of Kyriat Shmona

There are few people left in the city, which sits less than a mile away from the border with Lebanon

Automatic gunfire from across the border heard every day in the city 

The Israeli Defence Force had carried out a series of air strikes in Lebanon as they try to prevent the almost inevitable Hezbollah attack

‘We feel like we have been betrayed. We were told Israel had the best army in the world. How could they have let this happen,’ supermarket worker Eti asked

Hezbollah fighters are massed at the frontier as little as a mile away and send over their rockets every evening after prayers

Israelis fear that Hezbollah will follow Hamas’ lead and send fighters across the border to kill, rape and kidnap families in their homes

‘People who have family to stay with have gone there. Others have gone to stay in hotels and guest houses.

‘But they are not very nice, full of cockroaches. We don’t have anywhere to go. And we don’t want to live in filth. So we are staying here.’

Outside the supermarket Rabbi Haim Shani says he feels the same.

The 67-year-old told MailOnline: ‘I’ve been here for 40 years and I’m not going anywhere.

‘I’ve left the town before when there was war but that was because of the children.

‘I have four children but they are grown up and moved away.

Rabbi Haim Shani (pictured) said: ‘I’ve been here for 40 years and I’m not going anywhere’

He added: ‘I’ve left the town before when there was war but that was because of the children’

Supermarkets in the city were completely empty following the mass exodus of citizens

Huge amounts of product have been left unbought after most of the city’s residents left

‘Kiryat Shmona has never been like this before,’ explained supermarket worker Eti Schori (pictured)

‘They invited us to stay with them. They live in Talmon [a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank].

‘So now it’s me and my wife and she is more determined to stay than me. Yes, I’m afraid, but this is our home.

‘Eight out of ten of our neighbours have left. I’m 10th generation Israeli. We have seen wars before.

‘The worst one was in 1996 when a Katusha rocket landed in our garden. But we’re staying.’

Meanwhile back at the gun-shop owner Pe’er is doing a roaring trade.

He told MailOnline: ‘We are very busy. I’ve sold more than 200 weapons in the past few days.’

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