Stav Levaton is a military reporter for The Times of Israel
The IDF announces a partial reduction of the closed military zone in Israel along the Gaza border in line with a new situational assessment, allowing additional civilian areas in the Western Negev to reopen this afternoon for the first time since October 7, 2023.
The affected areas had been closed to civilian movement since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught, which triggered the ongoing war and led to the imposition of broad security restrictions in the border area.
The updated order, signed by the head of the Southern Command Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor, limits the closed military zone to areas outlined in a revised map, which includes key roads and areas adjacent to the Gaza Strip.
Entry into these zones remains restricted. Only permanent residents, authorized agricultural workers, and individuals conducting essential work — coordinated through the IDF Gaza Division and Home Front Command — will be granted entry. Violators of the order may face legal action.
The order remains in effect until August 31, unless modified earlier.
A map showing the updated boundaries of the closed military zone along the Gaza border, as outlined in an order signed by Southern Command head Maj. Gen. Yaniv Asor, July 2, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)
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From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, July 2, 2025
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