After Defense Minister Israel Katz announced yesterday that an emergency situation declared in southern Israel since the October 7, 2023, onslaught would be removed, the IDF announces that it has lifted all restrictions that were still in place near the border with the Gaza Strip.
The move follows a fresh assessment held by the IDF, with the approval of Katz, the military says.
The “special situation” had allowed the IDF’s Home Front Command to restrict gatherings and close off areas. It was declared on the morning of October 7 in the entire country, but has since remained in place only in the south.
The vast majority of restrictions in the country have already been lifted, but in some communities on the Gaza border, gatherings were still limited to 2,000 people.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, October 28, 2025
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
