Eased Restrictions Announced by Home Front Command: Return to Work Permitted in Protected Areas
Home Front Command announced today (Wednesday) that it is easing restrictions on defense guidelines, allowing the resumption of work in locations with protective spaces. The updated directives also permit gatherings of up to 30 individuals in most parts of the country where such protected spaces are available.
Educational Activities and School Graduations
While the ban on educational activities remains unchanged, the Ministry of Education confirmed that Home Front Command has authorized schools to distribute end-of-year certificates in protected areas within their premises. According to the approval, school administrators can hold graduation ceremonies in groups of 30 students, with two educational staff per protected space. Activities at schools will be allowed for up to four classes at the same time.
Shopping Malls Prepare for Reopening
In parallel, shopping malls and their stores are gearing up to resume operations starting tomorrow morning (Thursday). The new Home Front Command guidelines permit malls to open from today at 18:00, as they all contain protected spaces. However, due to short notstart and the need for staff organization, most stores in the malls are expected to open tomorrow morning. Malls indicated that stores will operate during regular hours, although many fashion retailers might only function from 10:00 to 18:00 due to staff shortages.
Enforcement and Compliance
While the Home Front Command set a limit of 30 for gatherings, this restriction applies specifically to events and does not affect commercial activities. All malls and associated businesses can remain open since they have protected areas. Observers noted that some cafes, fashion boutiques, and gyms operated today in defiance of the Home Front Command’s guidelines; mostly, these were small businesses rather than major retail chains, which will open their doors tomorrow. Essential stores in food, pharmacy, optics, and electronics sectors will continue operation this evening.
Prior to the current easing of restrictions, fashion and retail chain heads had threatened to lay off tens of thousands of employees by the weekend if they were not allowed to return to work. Home Front Command officials believe it is not feasible to keep the entire economy shut down, especially with the ban on work (except for essential factories). Many employees continue to report to work despite the restrictions, which are not being strictly enforced and carry no associated penalties or sanctions.
Economic Pressures and Concerns
The Ministries of Finance and Economy have pressed for the return of operations in workplaces that have valid protected spaces-this includes commercial centers and malls. In several cases, the protected spaces in malls are considered superior to those found in residential homes. With a relatively long warning time before missile launches-sometimes ten minutes or more-it is believed there is sufficient time to reach a protected area in case of an attack.
Even after October 7, the closing of the economy was not absolute. Home Front Command’s directives varied by region, and despite educational institutions being closed, guidelines in areas outside the south and north permitted the operation of workplaces and the opening of businesses with valid protected spaces. The nationwide shutdown at the beginning of hostilities with Iran, which classified the entire country as “red” according to Home Front Command’s guidelines, has drawn comparisons to measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic.
For updates on this subject and related news, stay tuned.
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Home Front Command has announced eased restrictions, allowing the return to work in protected areas and gatherings of up to 30 people. Malls prepare for reopening as guidelines change.
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Home Front Command, restrictions, work, protected areas, gatherings, malls, economy, COVID-19, Israel news, educational activities, shopping