Israel has announced it will lift the “special situation” status in its southern region for the first time since the Hamas-led attacks of October 2023.
Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Monday that he had approved the military’s recommendation to end the measure, which is set to be officially lifted on Tuesday morning.
Katz said the decision “reflects the new security reality in the south of the country that has been achieved.” He added that, alongside efforts to secure the return of all remaining hostages, the government remains committed to its war objectives, “first and foremost the dismantling of Hamas’s weapons and the demilitarisation of Gaza.”
A “special situation” on the home front is declared when there is a high risk of attacks on civilians. The measure has been in place in communities bordering the Gaza Strip since 7 October 2023, when Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people and abducted approximately 250 others during attacks in southern Israel.
According to figures released on Monday by health authorities in Gaza, Israel’s military response has resulted in 68,527 deaths and 170,395 injuries in the enclave.
Despite a ceasefire that came into effect on 10 October, 93 people have been reported killed and 337 wounded in Gaza since the truce began.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted that Israel would maintain full autonomy over its defence decisions.
“Israel is an independent state. We will defend ourselves with our own forces, and we will continue to control our destiny,” Netanyahu said, adding that the country would not seek approval for future strikes in Gaza or elsewhere, even under ceasefire arrangements.
