Keeping schools closed is a “step of necessary caution,” says Defense Minister.
By World Israel News Staff
Schools in northern Israel are not scheduled to reopen in the near future, despite the recent implementation of a 60 day ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah terror group.
Educational institutions near the Lebanese border have been shuttered for more than a year, as near-daily missile, rocket, and explosive drone attacks saw dozens of communities evacuated.
But even as some displaced residents of the north return to their homes, local schools will not be open, and families with school-age children will need to find alternative educational solutions.
As the war between Israel and Hezbollah escalated in late September, Israel’s Home Front Command shuttered schools in the Golan Heights – where no communities were evacuated.
In a statement, Defense Minister Israel Katz said schools in the Upper Galilee, along the northern border, and in the Golan Heights will not “return to normalcy.”
Referring to the decision as a “step of necessary caution,” Katz said that keeping schools closed “sends a clear message regarding Israel’s determination to enforce the [ceasefire] agreement.”
Katz reiterated that if “Hezbollah’s attempts to violate the agreement continue and the Lebanese government does not fulfill its obligations, Israel is prepared to respond strongly.”
Katz added that “we will not give up and we will not compromise on the safety of the residents of the north.”
Notably, Katz’s decision came after IDF and Home Front Command officials recommended that schools be reopened.
Some parents were upset by the decision, after IDF officials gave them the impression that reopening schools was a certainty.
“We share your frustration regarding the change of policy, especially at the last minute. The defense establishment places our safety and the safety of our children as its top priority, and we are sure that such a difficult decision has justified considerations even if they are not visible to us,” said the Southern Golan Regional Council in a statement to parents.