IDF criticized after announcement regarding closures around Gaza border left residents believing there was a security incident

The Israel Defense Forces faces criticism from the public after it said earlier today that it was extending its closed military zone around the Gaza border without offering an explanation as to why.

The decision to expand the closed zones was made as settler activists are planning to reach the Gaza border tonight to hold Tisha B’Av prayers.

This was not communicated in the initial announcement, however, and people in southern Israel say they feared the announcement was related to a security threat, Kan news reporter Asaf Pozailov writes on X.

The announcement was made “without any explanation or updates offered to the residents, and sent a lot of people, who were sure there was a security incident, into stress and hysteria,” he states. “People left work and ran home. A lot of people expressed panic.”