Israel shutters schools amid Iranian strikes

The Israel Defense Forces announced schools will close nationwide in light of Iran launching drones.

Schools will be closed through April 15 across the country, while most workplaces and other gatherings are allowed everywhere except the Gaza Envelope and the confrontation line between Israel and Gaza. However, gatherings are limited to 1,000 people everywhere.

This comes as air raid sirens have warned civilians to take cover in bomb shelters. U.S. air defense systems in the Middle East successfully intercepted some of the drones, which took hours to arrive from the time they launched.

Earlier Saturday, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commandos boarded an Israeli-affiliated container ship. The MSC Aries, owned by Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer’s Zodiac Group, had been last located off Dubai, heading toward the Strait of Hormuz on Friday. By Saturday, the guard’s navy rappelled down to MSC Aries via a helicopter over the boat.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

While President Joe Biden initially intended to spend the weekend in Delaware, Biden returned to the White House earlier Saturday to discuss the growing tensions in the region with his national security team.

The State Department warned U.S. government employees to avoid travel outside of the greater Tel Aviv area, Jerusalem, and Be’er Sheva.