Hezbollah in north, Hamas in south

IDF practices 2-front war

Senior officers complete drill involving war against Hezbollah in north, Hamas in south

Hanan Greenberg

Published:

02.25.10, 19:19 / Israel News

Israel prepares for possibility of two-front war: The IDF completed Thursday a broad command-level drill that examined the readiness of various army branches for the possibility of a two-front war.

The exercise, which involved both regular and reserve forces, focused on various combat scenarios in the north and simulated developments that included a Hezbollah missile attack combined with massive rocket fire from Gaza targeting strategic and national facilities.

The exercise focused on decision-making processes among senior officers, rather than tactical training sessions on the ground. Among other things, the drill examined combat methods and cooperation procedures among land, air, and naval forces.

The exercise also looked into the IDF's ability to engage in combat on several fronts in terms of logistics, intelligence, and PR, along with the need to address the home front and maintain ongoing dialogue with the political echelon.

IDF officials said the exercise was meant to implement the lessons of previous campaigns, and mostly the Second Lebanon War and Operation Cast Lead.

'No interest in escalation'

IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi managed ongoing assessment sessions during the drill and also visited various sites involved in it. Meanwhile, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and members of the Knesset Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee observed the exercise, received briefings, and took part in assessment sessions.

"Israel has no interest in seeing escalation in the region, yet we closely monitor developments and make sure to maintain a prepared, deterring, and primed army," Army Chief Ashkenazi said. "The drills enable us to prepare for possible scenarios, improve our readiness, and implement lessons."

Meanwhile, Minister Barak noted that Israel's defense establishment has engaged in much training and preparation work in recent years, but expressed his hope that there would be no need to use the IDF's capabilities.

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