Israel army launches large-scale military drills near Gaza

Israeli occupation army yesterday launched large-scale military drills near the occupied Gaza Strip, which has been under strict Israeli siege for 14 years, local media reported.

According to the Israeli news website i24, soldiers took part in a mock war scenario inside the occupied coastal enclave.

Chief of Staff of Israeli Army, Aviv Kochavi, was reported saying that these military exercises were planned several weeks ago.

Four similar exercises had been organised prior to this one since the appointment of Kochavi as a chief of staff at the start of 2019.

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“During the exercise, the [Gaza] division’s abilities to handle a variety of events, while cooperating between branches of the military will be tested,” the Israeli army said in a statement.

Units of conscripts and reservists, the statement added, will participate in the exercise, which would continue until Wednesday.

This comes as the Israeli military bombed western and southern Gaza yesterday.