- This story is breaking down, there will be more to follow.
Israel closed all schools today and canceled school trips and other youth activities planned for the coming days, the beginning of the Passover holiday, and put the armed forces on high alert in the event of a possible attack by Iran.
Announcing the measures in a televised briefing, top military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said dozens of fighter jets were in the air as part of the state of preparedness.
From 11pm tonight strict measures will be implemented, including banning all “educational activities” nationwide, restricting work in offices without “standard protected spaces” and limiting the number of people at meetings.
Educational activities have been banned throughout the country, while work restrictions have been imposed in areas directly adjacent to the Gaza Strip and in other areas of the Gaza envelope.
Hagari said in the televised speech that the directive will be re-evaluated at 6 a.m. local time and urged Israelis to remain vigilant and head to bomb shelters if they hear warnings.
Israeli schools have been closed in response to threats from Iran.
Tensions between Israel and Iran have increased enormously in recent weeks.
Iran has threatened to take revenge on Israel for razing its embassy in Damascus, Syria.
‘We are taking all possible measures to ensure your safety.
“Since the beginning of the war, we have faced a variety of threats sent here by Iran’s proxies and adapted our defense and attack systems accordingly,” Hagari said, adding that the IDF was “fully prepared” for Iranian attacks. .
‘The air force’s defense and attack formations are on alert and dozens of aircraft are in the sky. “We are conducting an assessment of the situation with our strategic partners, led by the United States, and maintaining close coordination with them,” he added.
Hagari’s televised address came as Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant held a meeting with senior defense officials, including IDF chief Herzi Halevi.
Gallant said the IDF was “closely monitoring a planned attack by Iran and its proxies against the State of Israel.”
‘We have added new capabilities: on the ground, in the air, at sea, in our intelligence directorate, within the State of Israel and together with our partners, led by the United States.
“Iran is a terrorist state; the world is seeing it now more than ever.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly heading to the IDF headquarters in Hakirya for security consultations with senior military officials in light of the threat of attack by Iran.
Neighboring countries appear to have begun preparations for an escalation of hostilities.
Jordan, Israel’s eastern neighbor, temporarily closed its airspace to all incoming, outgoing and internal flights.
The increased security measures were announced hours after Iranian commandos seized control of an Israeli-linked container ship as it traveled through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important shipping hotspots.
Tensions between Iran and Israel have risen sharply after the IDF killed 12 people, including two senior military figures, in an airstrike on Iran’s embassy in the Syrian capital Damascus on April 1.
More to follow.