Schools and universities within 40 kilometers of Gaza will reopen on Monday after weeks of being shut down due to rocket attacks on the area. Education Ministry Director Shlomit Amichai has asked that the first few hours back in the classroom be allocated to a discussion of the recent rocket barrages and the fighting in Gaza.
In Sderot, where schools have been fortified after years of attacks, all schools will be open on Monday. Schools in Be'er Sheva will reopen gradually. In Ashkelon and Ashdod, only students in grades 11 and 12 will return to school on Monday, and classes will be held in fortified rooms.
In the Eshkol region studies will resume on Tuesday. In Ofakim, students in grades 11 and 12 will resume classes on Monday, and other schools will open only if they are fortified against rocket attacks.
Grades 11 and 12 will return to school in Yavne, and sixth-grade students will learn in fortified schools. Along the Ashkelon coast only fully fortified schools will open.
Ashkelon Mayor Benny Vaknin said he had decided to hold off on fully reopening schools until later in the week, when it would become clear whether or not Hamas intends to abide by a temporary ceasefire its leaders declared Sunday. Some Gaza terrorists told Arab media that they would not abide by the ceasefire.
Local politicians from the south met with senior IDF commanders on Sunday night to discuss security concerns. Commanders said they expected the ceasefire to fully take hold in the middle of the week.
Universities and colleges in the south are expected to extend the first semester of the school year by two weeks. The extension will allow students to cover material missed due to closures during the Gaza operation.