IDF Home Front Command: 'difficult days ahead' — schools stay closed through weekend

IDF Home Front Command chief Maj. Gen. Shai Klapper announced that more 'difficult days' are expected amid Iran's continued missile fire and Hezbollah attacks, and that nationwide restrictions will remain in place until at least Saturday evening. Under current guidelines: educational activities are prohibited, gatherings of up to 50 people are permitted provided a shelter can be reached in time, and workplaces can operate under the same conditions. 'Difficult days and days of trial are ahead of us,' Klapper said in a press statement from northern Israel. 'We in the Home Front Command weigh the defensive policy every day, alongside the central consideration of safeguarding the security of Israel's citizens, alongside maintaining the national continuity and functioning of the Israeli economy and the education systems.' The current restrictions run until Saturday at 8 p.m., at which point another assessment will be conducted. The Home Front Command's language — 'difficult days ahead' — is notable because it contradicts Trump's public message that the war is 'practically over' and 'way ahead of timetable.' Israeli civilian authorities are preparing citizens for continued conflict while the US president signals imminent end. The ongoing school closure affects approximately 1.5 million Israeli students.