Limits on in-person schooling, gatherings eased in Ashkelon and surrounding area

The southern coastal city of Ashkelon and surrounding Lachish area have been returned to “green” status, the Home Front Command announces. The moves means that in-person schooling, work, and other activities can resume in the region, which is just north of the Gaza Strip.

Since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war, the Home Front Command has divided the country into different color-based security zones. Most of the country is now “green,” indicating few restrictions on school, work, and gatherings.

The so-called Gaza envelope — the Israeli territory surrounding the Strip — is still “orange,” with severe restrictions on gatherings and in-person work, while school is remote. Areas along the northern border with Lebanon are classified as “yellow,” with partial restrictions on gatherings, work, and school.

Many residents from the “orange” and “yellow” areas have been evacuated to other locations.

It is also announced that in all “green” areas — now encompassing most of the country — the cap on in-person gatherings has been raised to 5,000 people, indicating a possible return to in-person sporting events, concerts, and festivals.