Following the preventive strike in Lebanon early Sunday, the Airports Authority announced that departures from Israeli airports would be temporarily halted for several hours. Flights en route to Israel were redirected to land at Ramon Airport near Eilat, with at least two flights diverted to Cairo.
After a situation assessment, the Airports Authority announced that Ben-Gurion Airport resumed operations at 7:00 a.m., allowing takeoffs and landings to proceed. Planes that had been diverted to alternative airfields, including Ramon, were cleared to return to Ben-Gurion.
Simultaneously, the Home Front Command issued new instructions for the public after Defense Minister Yoav Gallant declared a "special situation" nationwide. According to IDF spokesman Brigadier General Daniel Hagari, residents from the Gush Dan area to the north may go to work and continue educational activities if a protected area is nearby. Gatherings of up to 300 people are also permitted under the new guidelines.
* Ynet contributed to this article.