Israel has lifted restrictions on public gatherings in areas near Lebanon in the northern Golan Heights, two weeks on from a ceasefire with Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
From “partial activity”, the army said it was changing its public safety guidelines to “full activity”.
Israel had tightened restrictions on 25 November, two days before the ceasefire came into effect, reflecting concerns fighting could intensify ahead of the truce.
Israeli tanks and troops have advanced out of Israeli-held territory in the Golan Heights in recent days and pushed into a buffer zone inside Syria, a move Israel claims it took to prevent attacks on its citizens.
For context: The Golan Heights were part of Syria until 1967, when Israel captured most of the area in the Six Day War, occupying it and effectively annexing it in 1981.
Syria tried to regain the Heights in the 1973 Middle East war, but was thwarted. Israel and Syria signed an armistice in 1974.
In 2000, Israel and Syria held their highest-level talks over a possible return of the Golan and a peace agreement. But the negotiations collapsed and subsequent talks also failed.
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