Ankara: Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir warned Sunday that Israel is facing a 'tense and volatile period across all sectors,' as the military continues its attacks on several regional fronts. 'We are in a tense and volatile period across all sectors, and are preparing for the upcoming holiday period,' a military statement quoted Zamir as saying during an assessment with the military's top brass in a snap drill. 'The baseline posture of the entire Israeli army is readiness for a surprise attack,' he added.
According to Anadolu Agency, since October 2023, Israel has continued its military operations in the Gaza Strip, resulting in significant casualties. Tel Aviv has also engaged in conflicts with Lebanon and Iran, and carried out attacks in Yemen and Qatar, alongside regular ground incursions and artillery shelling in Syria. Zamir indicated that the drill simulates a multi-front war and seeks to test the army's readiness at different levels and examine operational orders and plans, from the General Staff down to units deployed in the field.
He noted that the exercise is part of military preparations for the Jewish holiday period, beginning with Rosh Hashanah on Sept. 11, followed by Yom Kippur on Sept. 20, and Sukkot on Sept. 25. The surprise exercise was initiated on Zamir's orders to evaluate the state of readiness at the General Staff and regional command levels, as well as the preparedness of emergency forces to respond to sudden, complex, and multi-front scenarios, reported the Israeli newspaper Maariv.
The drill also includes testing procedures for raising the military's alert level, mobilizing reserve forces, and assessing decision-making and operational response mechanisms across various command levels. Separately, the Israeli army announced plans to launch a large-scale exercise on Monday in the Red Sea coastal city of Eilat and the Araba Valley along the Jordanian border to simulate a surprise attack. The military stated that forces would train for scenarios involving a sudden attack and infiltrations into Israeli territory by land, sea, and air.
For decades, Israel has occupied Palestinian lands as well as territories in Lebanon and Syria, refusing to withdraw from them or allow the establishment of an independent Palestinian state as stipulated in relevant UN resolutions.