Nasrallah threatens – IDF prepares: The IDF concludedlate Wednesday a three-day wide-ranging exercise aimed at testing the military’s response capabilities in case of an escalation of violence along the northern border during the disengagement.
The exercise examined the IDF’s capability to respond to violent incidents along the northern border during the pullout, when many IDF units are expected to be engaged in disengagement-related tasks hundreds of kilometers to the south.
“The exercise’s objective is to permit the implementation of the disengagement in August in any case, and to prepare a response for an array of possibilities and scenarios along the border (with Lebanon),” a senior IDF officer told Ynet.
Scenarios that may evoke escalation include:
Attempt to abduct an IDF soldier
Strategic attack to divert attention from pullout
Barrage of mortar shells, rockets, and anti-aircraft missiles at IDF outposts
Terrorist attack on IDF outpost
Katyusha rocket fire at Israeli towns
- Earlier on Wednesday Hizbullah Chief Hassan Nasrallah said he has “12,000 rockets capable of hitting the whole of northern Israel,” and the IDF is well aware the northern border must not be neglected despite intense disengagement preparations.
During the April 2002 “Defense Wall” operation against terror groups in the territories, attacks were carried out on IDF outposts along the northern border and Katyusha rockets were fired at Israeli towns.
Brigadier General (reserves) Yaakov Ayash said the IDF is also preparing for the possibility that not only Hizbullah, but other terror groups operating in Lebanon may attack as well.