Israeli farmer whose son was killed by Lebanon rocket works to restore orchard

By Joyce Zhou and Michal Yaakov Itzhaki

METULA, Israel (Reuters) - Five weeks ago, Moshe Weinstein found the body of his son Omer and four farm workers killed by a Hezbollah rocket, their bodies lying in an apple orchard that he has cultivated for years.

Weinstein, 75, is back working his land, taking advantage of a ceasefire deal brokered last week between Israel and Hezbollah that is aimed at restoring calm to both sides of the border. But the horror will haunt him for the rest of his days.

"I came and saw the worst thing possible to see," he told Reuters.

He had been elsewhere on the farm when the sirens went off on Oct. 31, warning of incoming fire from Lebanon. Shortly afterwards an explosion shook the air. By the time he reached his son there was nothing to be done. Four Thai workers were also killed outright while a fifth survived the blast.

"They were not supposed to be here harvesting on that day," he said, recalling how Omer had taken his team into the orchard only because a client had asked for the sweet Pink Lady apples that grew in that section of his farm.

"The strike was there in the well, the tractor stood here with the cart," he said, reliving the scene.

Weinstein's family business lies close to Metula, Israel's northernmost town, which was repeatedly targeted by Hezbollah rockets over the past 14 months as part of the Iranian-backed group's campaign to support its Palestinian ally Hamas.

Hezbollah began rocketing Israel across the border in solidarity with Hamas the day after the Palestinian militant group's Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israeli communities that precipitated war in the Gaza Strip.

In September this year, Israel stepped up its campaign against Hezbollah, launching an air and ground assault it said was necessary to disarm Hezbollah so that tens of thousands of Israelis could return safely to northern communities.

"We are the ones holding the borders, 100 metres away, we are the final tree on the border," Weinstein said.

Like most locals, the Weinsteins evacuated from their home, but were allowed back during the day to tend their crops, taking precautions to limit the danger such as never travelling together in the same car.

"We were able to work. We were granted entry to some areas and not to others," he said. "I didn't think there was a 1% chance that one of us would be hurt, but actually, Omer paid the price."

Hezbollah strikes killed 45 civilians in northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights over the past 14 months. At least 3,768 people were killed in Israel's retaliatory assault on Lebanon, according to Lebanon's health ministry which does not differentiate between Hezbollah fighters and civilians.

Israel and Hezbollah finally agreed last week to a truce aimed at establishing lasting peace after decades of tensions. But Weinstein, who has lived through three major Lebanon conflicts, has his doubts that the guns would stay silent.

"To me the ceasefire is like Russian roulette," he said.

(Writing by Emily Rose; Editing by Crispian Balmer and Peter Graff)