Israeli military eases some safety restrictions for parts of northern Israel

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JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel’s military eased some safety restrictions for residents in areas of northern Israel late on Saturday, a possible indication that it does not expect any immediate large-scale attack from Iran or its proxies in the region.

The decision followed a “situational assessment”, it said in a statement which made no mention of Israel’s bombing of military sites in Iran in the early hours of Saturday, carried out in retaliation for an Iranian attack on Israel this month.

In areas closest to the border with Lebanon, where Iran-backed Hezbollah has for months been firing heavy barrages of rockets at Israel, schools can now open, as long as they have bomb shelters close by, the Israeli military said.

In towns a bit further from the border, nearer to the port city of Haifa, gatherings of up to 2,000 people are now permitted, it added.

Israel’s military has tightened and eased restrictions for the home front over the past year, depending on its evolving assessment of the threat level.

In Saturday’s attack on Iran, Israel did not target the most sensitive oil and nuclear facilities and drew no immediate vows of vengeance from Tehran.

(Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch; Editing by Gareth Jones)