IDF Home Front Command issued updated safety guidelines on Tuesday night (May 18) for communities in southern and central Israel as Operation Guardian of the Walls continues.
Residents of towns in the Gaza Envelope within four kilometers (2.5 miles) were instructed to remain in their homes and close to a safe space effective immediately, until further notice.
All traffic and outdoor activity in the four-kilometer range is prohibited from this point on.
The towns affected by the above restriction include: Be’eri, Bnei Netzarim, Holit, Yevul, Yated, Kissufim, Kerem Shalom, Magen, Naveh, Nir Itzhak, Nir Oz, Nirim, Sufa, Ein HaShlosha, Pri Gan, Reim, Sdei Avraham, Shlomit (Eshkol Regional Council), Zikim, Netiv HaAssara, Karmia, Yad Mordechai (Ashkelon Shore Regional Council), Sa’ad, Alumim (Sdot Negev Regional Council), Avivim, Or HaNer, Erez, Gavim, Kfar Azza, Mefalsim, Nachal Oz and Nir Am (Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council).
In the Gaza Envelope, the following restrictions are in effect until Wednesday May 19 at 6 pm:
- Gatherings outdoors are limited to up to 10 people.
- Gatherings indoors are limited to up to 100 people, in accordance with the COVID-19 government guidelines.
- Employees are permitted to go to their workplace as long as they are near enough to a protective space to be able to reach it within the allotted time.
- No educational activities are permitted at this time. Remote learning is okay.
For the Western Negev, Western Lachish, Lachish, Central Negev, Southern Shfela, Dan, Yarkon, Sharon, the Bedouin towns of Umm Batin and El-Sayyid (in the Al Qassum Regional Council district), Hura, Tel Sheva and Segev Shalom:
- Outdoor gatherings are permitted only up to 10 people.
- Indoor gatherings are permitted only up to 100 people, in accordance with the COVID-19 government guidelines.
- Educational activities are not permitted at this time. Remote learning is okay. Special education programs can take place only inside a proper protected room. Bagrut (matriculation) exams can be held inside protected spaces in the Sharon, Shefelah, Dan and Yarkon regions, and in the towns of Shafir, Kiryat Gat, Kiryat Malachi, Mazkeret Batya, Kiryat Ekron, Brenner, Nachal Sorek, Yavneh and Hevel Yavneh.
For the Samaria Region, only including the towns of Oranit, Alfei Menashe, Elkana, Karnei Shomron and some towns of the Shomron Regional Council (Etz Ephraim, Shaarei Tikva, Tzofim, Ma’aleh Shomron):
- Outdoor gatherings are permitted up to 30 people.
- Indoor gatherings are permitted up to 300 people, in accordance with COVID-19 government guidelines.
- Employees are permitted to go to their workplaces if there is a protected room accessible within the allotted window of time to reach shelter in an attack.
- Educational activities may be held in a place from which one can reach a proper safe space within the allotted time.
Elsewhere around the country, COVID-19 government guidelines apply.