Next week, a nationwide homefront preparedness exercise will take place, with air raid sirens sounding around the country. At that time, everyone is expected to head for a shelter, with the IDF’s Homefront Command seeking to measure response time and other logistical realities that may become a horrific reality in the event of a Hizbullah missile attack chas v’sholom. While the exercise is an annual event, not indicative of an imminent attack chas v’sholom, residents are well-aware the growing Hizbullah threat and heightened tensions along the border are factors that give the exercise an air of realism.

Officials will study the exercise carefully, integrating it in ongoing scenarios and plans, including the need to evacuate large numbers of residents from areas in the event of a massive missile attack across the northern border. Today, Hizbullah is capable of sending missiles to all points of the country, and experts predict that if such an attack is launched, missiles carrying sizable warheads would target Tel Aviv, and military bases in the Gush Dan area.

Some of the plans being weighed involve using underground parking facilities to house refugees fleeing their homes, with IDF officials predicting most of those seeking to leave their homes would be in the northern border areas, where rocket fire would most likely be the heaviest.

The exercise is dubbed Nikudat Mifne (Turning Point) 4. The focus of the campaign will be the sounding of a siren across Israel on Wednesday, May 26th, 2010, at 11:00 AM, requesting that all residents enter protected spaces specified in advance.

“2010 marks the fourth consecutive year the exercise has taken place. It was planned as part of the annual training graph, and was prepared by a national administration comprised of various officials over the past few months. The exercise is another opportunity to prepare the public and municipal authorities for emergency periods”, IDF Homefront Command officials explain.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)