The IDF held a large-scale surprise exercise simulating terror attacks in Israel’s various sectors on Sunday, 15 Tammuz 5773. Thousands of soldiers participated in the drill, mostly members of special forces. The Military Intelligence Directorate also played a large role in the drill.

The exercise was led by Chief of the General Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz and Deputy Chief of the General Staff Maj. Gen. Gadi Eizenkott, who participated in the decision-making process during the drill. It was planned over a year in advance and was kept a secret, coming as a surprise even to some of the IDF’s top leadership.

The exercise aimed to facilitate cooperation between various units in coping with disasters and to test the IDF’s preparedness for such scenarios.

“The idea is to prepare for large attacks that we see in the world, against the backdrop of the rise in instability on the border with Sinai and the lack of governance on the Syrian border,” a senior officer of the Operations Directorate said on Sunday in a briefing to reporters. “We sought to examine the level of preparedness of the operational units and the commands in responding to large-scale, mass-casualty terror attacks.”

In one of the simulated scenarios, forces confronted a situation in which global jihadist terrorists barricade themselves in hotels and a dining hall, receiving instructions from abroad. The exercise also entailed negotiations with these terrorists.

The drill also simulated scenarios in which terrorists infiltrate a military post, carry out a killing spree in an Israeli community and execute additional attacks in all of Israel’s sectors. The exercise particularly emphasized a scenario in which terrorists infiltrate Israel from across the Egyptian border.

The exercise also involved cooperation with non-military organizations.

“Other organizations like the Israel Police, Magen David Adom and the Israel Security Agency also participated in the multi-force exercise,” the officer of the Operations Directorate said. “The transition ‘from zero to 60’ was fast, and the cooperation between the units was good.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)