מלכים ב, פרק י״ז, פסוק ו׳

The final collapse of the Kingdom of Israel and the fall of its fortified capital, Samaria, reach their devastating conclusion as the people are exiled to Assyria. The timeline marks this historical turning point in the ninth year of Hoshea, counting from the moment he rebelled and established his independent rule. However, Hoshea did not actively govern for this entire period, as he was captured and imprisoned before the grueling three-year siege of Samaria even began. Therefore, the nine-year timeframe encompasses the entire span from the start of his kingship until the actual moment the nation was taken into captivity [רש״י, מצודת דוד].

Following the city's conquest, the Assyrian king actively and forcefully uprooted the Israelites, compelling them into exile [מצודת ציון]. The king then resettled the captives in new, distant territories [מצודת ציון]. Specifically, they were placed in Halah and Habor, cities situated along the banks of the Gozan River [מצודת דוד]. While the exact geographical locations of these cities remain uncertain today, they are believed to have been situated at the far northern edge of the Assyrian Empire, an area that likely corresponds to the northern borders of modern-day Persia [ביאור שטיינזלץ].