The mayors of northern border towns in Israel have strongly condemned the emerging ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah, calling it a "surrender deal" that endangers the security of the region and its residents.

In an interview with Israel's Channel 12 news, Metula Mayor David Azoulay expressed his outrage over the growing reports of a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah, denouncing the agreement as a capitulation to the militant group. He also criticized the government's handling of the situation, stating that the proposed deal amounted to a "surrender."

Similarly, Kiryat Shmona Mayor Avichai Stern has voiced his concerns, labeling the ceasefire as a "surrender deal" and warning that it could lead to further escalation. In a Facebook post, Stern argued that such an agreement would set the stage for a repeat of the deadly October 7 attacks, which devastated the region and left many residents in fear for their safety.

"This agreement hastens [a repeat of] October 7 in the north and this cannot happen," Stern wrote, referencing the deadly assault by Hamas that began in Gaza and spread across Israeli territories.

"I don’t understand how we went from total victory to total surrender," he added, criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's initial rhetoric of victory, which has now seemingly given way to negotiations with Hezbollah.

Stern’s concerns echo those of other local leaders who fear the implications of a ceasefire with Hezbollah, a group that has conducted near-daily attacks on the region’s northern towns over the past year.

"Where will our residents return to?" Stern asked. "To a destroyed city without security or a horizon? Someone here has lost it."

Both Metula and Kiryat Shmona, located near the Lebanese border, have been among the hardest-hit areas in northern Israel due to the ongoing Hezbollah attacks.