Summer camps in southern Israel have been ordered by the IDF to be held in bomb shelters, effective immediately, until further notice.
The instructions were sent out Wednesday night in light of the military escalation emanating from the Gaza Strip. At least 70 rockets, missiles and mortar shells were fired at Israel from Gaza in the five hours leading up to midnight Wednesday night, injuring nearly a dozen Israeli men, women and children and traumatizing dozens more.
Tonight, Hamas fired rockets at this playground in Sderot, Israel, which is home to 25,000 people. They're innocent mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters. The Hamas terrorist organization looks at Sderot from the Gaza Strip and sees 25,000 targets. pic.twitter.com/ZSqZnQSNNx
— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson)
Israelis living in southern Israel were told to stay within the ‘rocket racing’ distance of a safe space as well.
In addition, the IDF placed a cap on the number of people allowed at any single gathering, for safety’s sake. Effective immediately, just 300 people are allowed to congregate at any outdoor gathering; only 500 are allowed to gather in any single closed area, the IDF instructed.
The reason for the restrictions has to do with the time it takes for people to reach safe spaces, and the number of people who can safely enter those spaces in that time, should Hamas launch a barrage of rockets at the site.