JERUSALEM: Israel has lifted the state of emergency for areas near the border with Gaza for the first time since Hamas’s October 2023 attack, defence minister Israel Katz announced today.
“I have decided to adopt the (Israeli military’s) recommendation and to lift, for the first time since Oct 7, the special state on the home front,” a statement from Katz’s office said.
The decision “reflects the new security reality in the south of the country” and came as a ceasefire that began on Oct 10 largely continued to hold.
The state of emergency, which was active up to 80km from Gaza in southern Israel, granted authorities special powers to maintain public order and ensure civilian safety.
The same state of emergency was temporarily expanded to the whole of Israel in June 2025 after Israeli strikes on Iran that prompted retaliatory missile launches from the Islamic Republic.