The IDF’s Home Front Command increased its restrictions on public life in northern Israel, responding to continued overnight rocket attacks by Hezbollah on Sunday, escalating months of ongoing tension into a more serious confrontation.
As per the updated orders, all educational activities in areas such as the Golan Heights, Galilee, Haifa Bay, and northern valleys stretching south to Beit Shean, roughly 63 kilometers from Lebanon’s border, were suspended.
Gatherings were limited to 10 people outdoors and 100 indoors. Workplaces were only allowed to operate if there was a nearby shelter that workers could access quickly.
These guidelines took effect at 6 a.m. on Sunday and were to remain in place until Monday evening at 6 p.m.
Earlier directives over the weekend had allowed for larger gatherings of up to 30 outdoors and 300 indoors.
In contrast, less stringent restrictions remained in force near the Gaza Strip, where up to 1,000 people were allowed to gather, and work and educational activities were largely unaffected.
No additional rules were imposed on other regions of Israel.
The Home Front Command’s website offers real-time updates, including the option to search for specific instructions based on location.
The uptick in violence on Shabbos followed an airstrike by Israel the day before that targeted top Hezbollah commanders, Ibrahim Aqil and Ahmed Wahbi, in Beirut. The attack also claimed the lives of other senior members of the group as they met in an underground room of a residential building.
The clashes occurred shortly after a series of explosions involving Hezbollah members’ personal devices, including pagers and walkie-talkies, which killed dozens and injured thousands, an act widely attributed to Israel.
These incidents have inched both sides closer to outright war after 11 months of Hezbollah launching frequent attacks on northern Israel.
Throughout Saturday night into Sunday morning, Hezbollah launched a series of rockets at northern Israel, while the IDF responded by targeting hundreds of Hezbollah rocket launchers, which the military said had been prepared for firing at Israel.
The Magen David Adom emergency service reported that three individuals sustained minor injuries from rocket strikes in Kiryat Bialik, near Haifa.
Many others sought treatment for anxiety or were hurt while rushing to bomb shelters, according to MDA.
The IDF reported that Hezbollah fired approximately 85 rockets from Lebanon during the morning, in addition to those fired overnight. Some rockets were intercepted, but others struck Kiryat Bialik, causing significant destruction, as well as Moreshet, a Lower Galilee community.
Video footage captured one of the impact sites in Kiryat Bialik.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for targeting a Rafael defense company site located near Haifa.
On Shabbos, around 100 rockets had already been launched from Lebanon toward northern Israel, with Hezbollah again claiming responsibility for the attacks.
No injuries were caused by these rocket strikes, but police received numerous reports of damage and fires sparked by the impacts.
{Matzav.com Israel}