Israel reassures its neighbours about huge defence drill

As Israel conducts the largest civil defence drill the government has sent reassurances to neighbouring countries that it “does not intend to exploit its extensive Home Front Command exercise to launch any surprise attacks.” Hebrew radio revealed that Israel’s military command has sent such messages to the military attaches of foreign countries in the region, including Egypt and Jordan.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry has also extended invitations to all accredited foreign ambassadors in Israel to visit the ministry on Tuesday 25 May to get an update on the exercise.

---

The Home Front Command drill is scheduled to last 5 days and simulates a series of scenarios posing a threat to Israeli security. Primarily, say military sources, this is training to deal with rocket fire from Syria, Lebanon and the Gaza Strip simultaneously.