IDF official: ‘No return to normal soon, weeks of war ahead’

Schools across Israel remain closed as the conflict with Iran intensifies; missile barrages trigger cancellation of limited in-person learning.

By World Israel News Staff

A senior military official said the Israel Defense Forces is preparing for “weeks” of continued fighting, pouring cold water on hope that Israel’s current emergency restrictions will be lifted anytime soon.

The nationwide measures have shuttered the entire education system and forced much of the economy to operate in a limited capacity, with no immediate return to normal in sight.

The Home Front Command officer told Hebrew-language outlet Walla! that Israelis hoping for eased restrictions should not expect relief soon.

According to the official, there will be at least “a few more weeks” of intense fighting with Iran, which will likely be marked by frequent air raid sirens and repeated runs to bomb shelters.

The officer indicated that after the upcoming Passover holiday — a weeklong festival that ends this year on April 8 — some quieter areas of the country could begin to see a gradual return to school.

Educational institutions, from preschools to universities, have been closed since the outbreak of the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, which began on February 28.

However, the official emphasized that any easing of restrictions would not apply to the Tel Aviv metropolitan area in the near future, given the continued threat from Tehran.

Following repeated Iranian missile attacks on residential neighborhoods in Dimona and Arad on Saturday evening, which wounded more than 100 people, Education Minister Yoav Kisch canceled plans to reopen schools in certain parts of the country.

Limited in-person learning had previously been approved in select municipalities for special education students, but Kisch issued a statement clarifying that the plan had been scrapped after the latest barrage.

Kisch added that a situational assessment is scheduled for Tuesday, after which officials may decide whether to reopen schools in particularly secure areas.

Also on Saturday, after a cluster munition destroyed a preschool in Rishon LeZion, Kisch announced that Passover day camps for children — originally scheduled to begin in the last week of March — had been canceled across the Tel Aviv area and nearby districts.