The Israeli occupation army has launched a large scale surprise military drill involving two divisions, testing combat readiness along the Egyptian and الأردني borders under a scenario involving a sudden attack from both fronts.
Military correspondent Avi Ashkenazi of the Israeli newspaper Maariv said the Israeli army had initiated a surprise exercise for senior command staff aimed at evaluating preparedness for potential clashes along the eastern front, specifically within the operational sectors of Divisions 80 and 96.
According to the Israeli army, the exercise, named “Spark and Fire”, is designed to assess the military’s level of alertness and readiness for a range of rapidly escalating operational scenarios. The drill includes training for commanders and forces across all levels, from the General Staff down to field units, with a focus on the eastern border region where Divisions 80 and 96 operate.
Ashkenazi noted that the Central and Southern Commands are participating in the exercise alongside regular and special forces deployed on the ground. Representatives from the Israeli military comptroller’s office are also present at multiple locations to monitor troop activity, operational conduct, and responses across various simulated scenarios.
He added that the exercise is testing combat readiness across several fronts simultaneously, including General Staff level operations, troop mobilisation, implementation of defence orders, force withdrawals, and the deployment of special units in coordination with the air force and field forces.
Several simulated explosive scenarios are being carried out during the drill to examine how forces respond under rapidly changing battlefield conditions. The surprise exercise is intended to test the Israeli army’s ability to shift from routine operations to full scale warfare within a very short timeframe, similar to the events of 7 October 2023.
As part of the implementation of defence directives and force deployment procedures, special forces have reportedly been positioned across the sector in a coordinated manner. Additional regular units, including multiple companies and battalions from the David Brigades tasked with defending settlements in the event of a surprise attack, have also been deployed.
The report stated that the exercise is being conducted under the direction of the Israeli army as part of a broader strategy involving a series of military drills and operational assessments across multiple fronts, with the stated aim of improving operational response capabilities and applying lessons learned from the ongoing war.
The Israeli army also announced that areas around the Dead Sea hotels and the eastern border region would witness heavy movement of military forces, aircraft, and vehicles during the exercise. It claimed there was no concern over any actual security incident and said the drills had been scheduled in advance as part of the army’s regular training programme, regardless of current tensions with Iran.
The army further confirmed that representatives from the military comptroller’s office are currently stationed at military bases and are actively monitoring troop movements throughout the exercise.
