The Israeli military declared new military zones on Sunday in the Golan Heights along the border with Syria.
Four Druze communities in the area are affected by the order.
The move also affects classroom activities for the children who are living in the area.
“In accordance with the situational assessment in the Northern Command, it was determined that schools will carry out educational activity online in four Druze communities in the northern Golan Heights (Buq’ata, Ein Qiniye, Mas’ade, and Majdal Shams),” the IDF said in announcing the order on Sunday.
“Kindergartens will continue educational activity as usual. Educational activity in the rest of the Golan Heights remains unchanged.”
The agricultural areas of Merom Golan-Ein Zivan and Buq’ata-Khirbet Ein Hura were also affected by the order and were declared a closed military zone.
Farmers will be allowed to enter specific areas within the zone for periods of a few hours, “based on military necessity and in full coordination with the IDF,” the IDF said.
The IDF emphasized that uncoordinated entrance to these areas is strictly prohibited.
The decision followed the capture of Damascus and the fall of the regime of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Following a situational assessment of the events taking place across the border in Syria, including the entry of armed gunmen into the buffer zone, the IDF took steps to secure Israeli territory.
“The IDF has deployed forces in the buffer zone and in several other places necessary for its defense, to ensure the safety of the communities of the Golan Heights and the citizens of Israel,” the IDF said in a separate statement.
We emphasize that the IDF is not interfering with the internal events in Syria. The IDF will continue to operate as long as necessary in order to preserve the buffer zone and defend Israel and its civilians.”
