Israel army conducts large-scale ‘surprise’ drill simulating Gaza invasion

The Israeli military concluded a “large-scale”, surprise drill yesterday, that simulated various scenarios including an invasion of the occupied Gaza Strip, reported the Jerusalem Post.

The drill saw “the participation of all forces throughout the military including ground troops, artillery, aircraft, the armoured corps and intelligence corps.”

According to the report, “the drill was designed to examine the operational readiness of troops for various combat scenarios” inside the Gaza Strip, including “moving large numbers of troops to different regions, amassing forces in designated locations, live-fire exercises and aerial manoeuvres”.

The Israeli military chief of staff, Aviv Kochavi, “joined troops taking part in the drill on Tuesday, speaking with soldiers and commanders”.

The Jerusalem Post noted that the drill came “amid heightened tensions along the Gaza border fence”, and following a warning by the military’s “Intelligence Directorate” of “a high probability of a military escalation this year in both Gaza and the West Bank”.

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