The Israel Defense Forces on Sunday launched a large-scale military exercise, which focuses mainly on the northern front and a potential war against the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah.
“The aim of the exercise is to improve the IDF’s offensive capabilities at all echelons, while implementing the Victory Concept and generating new procedures between key headquarters,” the IDF spokesperson said in a statement, referring to the work-plan inspired by the Middle East Forum's Israel Victory Project.
The IDF said the drill, named "Lethal Weapon", consists of regular and reserve duty forces, including the Air Force, Navy and ground forces, as well as the Intelligence Directorate, the Technological and Logistics Directorate and the Cyber Defense Directorate.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz called the exercise "critical for maintaining the operational capability of our forces.”
The exercise, planned as part of the army's 2020 training regimen, was expected to end on Thursday afternoon.
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Defense Minister Benny Gantz and IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi
(Photo: Defense Ministry)
Military fighter jets, attack helicopters and other aircraft could be seen across the country during the drill, including increased presence of army vehicles and security forces on the ground.
The exercise, the largest of the year, was significantly scaled back due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The drill was set to be focused mainly on battling the Iran-backed Shiite militia, with whom Israel fought a war in 2006.
Since then, Hezbollah is believed to have accumulated a massive arsenal of weapons and amassed considerable experience from fighting in war-torn Syria over the past few years.
Reprinted courtesy of i24NEWS