Residents in northern Israel react as ceasefire appears to be holding at border with Lebanon

(21 Jun 2026) RESTRICTION SUMMARY: ++PLEASE NOTE THIS MATERIAL WAS SHOT BY AN AP VIDEOGRAPHER. THE AP SUBMITTED THE MATERIAL TO THE ISRAELI MILITARY CENSOR, WHICH DID NOT MAKE DELETIONS ++ ++QUALITY AS INCOMING++ ASSOCIATED PRESS Northern Israel - 21 June 2026 1. Various of parked tanks and military vehicles near the Lebanese border 2. Various of damaged homes, Beaufort castle in background, as seen from the Israeli side of the border ASSOCIATED PRESS Kiryat Shmona, Israel - 21 June 2026 3. SOUNDBITE (Hebrew) Ruti Haliva, Kiryat Shmona resident: "I think that Trump is exactly what they say about him, that he's a trampoline, he is unstable, he doesn't know what he's saying. And in my opinion, he disrespects Israel, he doesn't think about us, he doesn't think about our security, he thinks about himself and what will be written about him in the book of records. It's a real shame that it's like this, a real shame." 4. Wide of shopping mall 5. SOUNDBITE (Hebrew) Ruti Haliva, Kiryat Shmona resident: "They left me with no security, I'm really without security. I'm here because I have no choice, if I had a choice I would leave, but it's sad, everyone is leaving, you see the mall is empty, everything is closed, it's sad. Really sad." 6. UPSOUND (Hebrew) Merav Elharar, Kiryat Shmona resident sitting at coffeeshop: "May there be peace upon all of us, amen." 7. SOUNDBITE (Hebrew) Merav Elharar, Kiryat Shmona resident: "We are in a very, very serious trap, and the State of Israel hopes that we will be strong enough to cope. We must not give up, because we cannot afford to be in this situation. We must not. The complacency we are experiencing now is dangerous for the State of Israel; this is our existence here. We went through October 7th, and it was a disaster that from there, we cannot go back; from here, we only move forward, and I hope the United States understands this." ASSOCIATED PRESS Northern Israel - 21 June 2026 8. Israeli flag waving, destruction in southern Lebanon in background as seen from northern Israel 9. Wide of UN base 10. UN tank in front of base 11. Various of destruction in south Lebanon as seen from the Israeli side of the border 12. Various of Israeli-Lebanese border STORYLINE: Residents in northern Israel reacted with uncertainty on Sunday as a ceasefire appeared to be holding at the border with Lebanon. Speaking to The Associated Press, one resident said she feels like she's been left without any security. "I'm here because I have no choice, if I had a choice I would leave," said Ruti Haliva, from Kiryat Shmona. Merav Elharar, also from Kiryat Shmona, remained determined that Israel "will be strong enough to cope." "We must not give up, because we cannot afford to be in this situation. We must not," she said. As the U.S.-Iran talks are set to kick off in Switzerland, a ceasefire appeared to be holding in Lebanon on Sunday, a lull that came after another day of heavy fighting. Since the ceasefire, Israeli strikes on Friday and Saturday killed 97 people, including eight women and four children, Lebanese officials said. Five Israeli soldiers were also killed. Israel says it targeted Hezbollah infrastructure on Saturday, including a tunnel network in the southern Lebanese town of Kfar Tebnit. But by Sunday morning, residents in southern Lebanon reported a lull in Israeli strikes. There also were no reports of Hezbollah fire from the Israeli side. AP Video by Alon Bernstein =========================================================== Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...