A surprise exercise was conducted for Israel's elite counter-terrorism unit Yamam and the civilians of Ivim, in the Sha'ar HaNegev region near the Gaza Strip. The exercise was meant to incorporate lessons learned during Operation Protective Edge.
The IDF and communities in the Gaza vicinity have understood the need to prepare for the main threat that communities near the border face, i.e., terrorist infiltration via subterranean attack tunnels.
The exercise simulated a terrorist infiltration of the community. In addition to Yamam, fighters of the Northern Brigade of the Gaza Division also participated. The exercise was conducted by the head security officer of the Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council, Eyal Hajbi and Ivim security coordinator, Zion Ben-Hanan.
The fighters were presented with a situation in which terrorists, in this case being played by IDF soldiers, had overtaken civilian homes and public buildings. The exercise was meant to be as realistic as possible and included explosions and pyrotechnics.
The exercise also simulated the evacuation of wounded, both civilians and soldiers, under enemy fire, with community residents and emergency services also participating. Regional security officer Eyal Hajbi said, "Our readiness must be at its best so that we can better respond in real time."