The Israeli government is moving towards extending the declaration of the “special status on the home front” throughout the country until next October 6, based on security estimates warning of a “high possibility” of carrying out attacks targeting civilians, in light of the continuing state of uncertainty on the Iranian and Lebanese fronts.
A report by journalist Anna Barsky in the Maariv newspaper revealed that the Defense Minister urgently submitted the proposal on Tuesday morning, to be presented to members of the government via a telephone vote. The Secretary-General of the Government, Yossi Fuchs, asked the ministers to quickly decide through a dedicated group on the WhatsApp application, provided that the decision is presented immediately after its approval to the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee in the Knesset for approval, before the end of the current announcement on September 23.
Legal advisors warned of potential problems as a result of the continued extension of the state of emergency without interruption since February 28, which gives the army broad civil defense powers that differ from normal circumstances. However, the legal opinion concluded that this problem does not stand in the way of an extension due to the extreme security necessity, noting that the move meets the criteria of “urgency and necessity” even in light of the electoral recess of the 25th Knesset that began on July 18.
This declaration grants the Home Front Command exceptional powers, including obligating residents to remain in shelters, restricting educational institutions, and issuing precautionary measures to protect lives and property. Although the official documents confirmed that there are no currently valid instructions directed at civilians, they warned of the possibility of the need to activate them again, estimating the economic impact of the announcement as “negligible” as long as the field restrictions remain inactive.
The roots of this announcement go back to last February 28 with the launch of the joint “Lion’s Roar” operation between the Israeli and American armies against Iran and its nuclear program, which was followed by an Iranian response with dozens of ballistic missiles, followed on March 2 by the involvement of “Hezbollah” from Lebanon by launching missiles and drones that caused extensive damage and human casualties.
Despite multiple ceasefire agreements—such as the April 7 agreement with Iran, which included violations and clashes on June 7 and 8, and the April 17 agreement with Lebanon and the subsequent continuation of operations until the June 26 agreement—in addition to the continued firing from Yemen and Iraq, the security establishment believes that the danger exists, adhering to the necessity of the declaration covering all regions of the country and not just the nearby fronts.
The extension is scheduled to be officially published through the media and the official registry as soon as it is approved. The competent authorities have committed to re-evaluating the situation before the date of October 6, to study whether the special status will continue, be canceled, or its scope will be reduced according to developments on the ground in the Iranian and Lebanese arenas.
