Israeli embassies shut, Ben Gurion closed, rabbis urge public to stay home

Israel's embassy to Sweden said on Friday that Israel would close its diplomatic missions around the world in light of intense Israeli air operations against Iran, launched in the early hours of the morning, and that consular services would not be provided, Reuters reports. It did not say how long the missions would be closed.

Israeli officials say its attacks against Iranian nuclear facilities, military posts, and targeted assassination of Iranian figures and scientists are "only the beginning," and are the result of long-term planning. 

Israel's top rabbis, Kalman Ber and David Yosef, urged the Israeli public to adhere to the Israeli army's Home Front Command instructions, Times of Israel reported. The rabbis' instructions included avoiding indoor or outdoor gatherings, in a statement that, for all intents and purposes, implies a request not to pray in synagogues on Shabbat.

“The public is obligated to observe and comply with the Home Front Command’s instructions in every location,” the statement read, adding in bold: “Gatherings should not be held in open areas or in buildings.”

Israel's main airport, Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, is also closed to arrivals and departures until further notice, and individual airlines have begun issuing notices of cancellation.

Israel's Channel 12 reported that the airport is expected to stay closed for the next three to four days, but the airport management has not confirmed this. A spokesman for the Airports Authority told the Times of Israel that no official statement or estimate has been issued.