Director-General of the State Comptroller’s Office, Yishai Vaknin, said: "The State Comptroller’s Office is conducting around 50 audits covering all levels – political, military, and civilian. As part of this, we are also examining the state’s conduct in evacuating residents and in the rehabilitation of the north"
The management of the State Comptroller’s Office, headed by the Director-General, Brig. Gen. (res.) Yishai Vaknin, conducted a tour yesterday, October 28, 2025, in the city of Nahariya, and in the Ma’ale Yosef and Mateh Asher regional councils. The purpose of the visit was to gain a firsthand impression of the challenges faced by the local authorities during the Iron Swords War and to review the recovery and return-to-routine processes.
Also taking part in the tour were the Commissioner for Public Complaints, Carmit Fenton; the Head of the Division for Local Government, Miri Razin; directors from the Division for the Audit of Economic Affairs and National Infrastructure; the Division for the Audit of the Defense Establishment, and additional staff members.
In Nahariya, the participants met with Mayor Ronen Marley, the City Director-General David Elhiani, and their teams. During the meeting, the city’s situation during the war was presented to the office’s leadership. Nahariya, which was severely hit, suffered 111 rocket impacts and five fatalities. The Mayor described the city’s preparedness following the October 7 attack, including the activation of standby squads, upgrades of shelters, and the fortification of educational institutions, alongside the existing gaps in protection and infrastructure. The city also received approximately 2,000 evacuees who were housed in new apartments, some of whom have not yet returned to their homes.
Director-General Vaknin: “The return of the residents symbolizes victory”
The Mayor noted that the compensation model discriminates against cities whose residents were not evacuated, as they are not eligible for compensation despite having incurred significant expenses such as the maintenance of public shelters, assistance to evacuees from other municipalities, and more. In addition, future development plans for the city in the coming years were presented.
Nahariya Mayor Ronen Marley said: “I wish to thank the Director-General of the State Comptroller’s Office, Yishai Vaknin, and the senior division heads who came for the tour and the working meeting with the city’s management. “The State Comptroller’s Office addresses many important issues in the State of Israel, and we were given the opportunity to present the challenges that Nahariya faced during the war, along with our future plans for the city’s continued development in the coming years".
Later in the day, representatives of the State Comptroller’s Office visited the Ma’ale Yosef Regional Council, where they met with Council Head Shimon Guetta and Acting Director-General Dudi Cohen. The council presented the damage caused during the fighting, mainly to homes in the community of Shtula, as well as the extensive restoration works underway, of kindergartens, public buildings, and infrastructure. According to the Council Head, some residents have not yet returned to their homes despite the council’s efforts to bring them back. He also noted that in some of the council’s communities, plots of land are being offered for sale at attractive prices and discounts for reservists, in the aim of rejuvenating the local population.
Director-General Vaknin: “We are also examining the state’s conduct in the evacuation of residents and in the rehabilitation of the north”
The Director-General emphasized the importance of returning to normal life and said: “The return of the residents is a picture of victory. I was pleased to hear about the communities along the border that are once again filled with children; this is national resilience. I was also glad to hear about the project offering benefits to reservists. Everything begins with a sense of security”.
Later, the delegation visited the Mateh Asher Regional Council, accompanied by the Council’s Director-General, Dan Tanhuma. The participants toured the village of Arab al-Aramshe, adjacent to the Lebanese border, home to Lt. Col. Aramshe, a tracker officer who fought bravely at the Re’im base on October 7 and prevented the terrorists from overrunning it.
The Director-General expressed his appreciation for the extensive efforts being made by the northern authorities to strengthen residents’ sense of security and advance rehabilitation
The tour continued to Kibbutz Adamit, where public buildings sustained direct damage, and concluded with a working meeting at the council offices. During the meeting, participants reviewed the current status of residents returning to their homes and the challenges facing the council with regard to community resilience.
At the end of the day, the Director-General summed up: “I was impressed by the extensive work being carried out by the northern authorities to strengthen residents’ sense of security and recovery. It is essential to ensure that the equipment provided for the emergency response teams is sufficient and that residents have all the means to live safely and return to full normalcy".
