‘Israeli’ Military Launches Massive Drill amid Fears of Sudden Fighting Outbreak

By Staff, Agencies

A surprise military exercise involving thousands of troops was launched Saturday night, simulating a sudden outbreak of fighting on the northern frontier, the ‘Israeli’ Occupation Forces said.

The Zionist military said the three-day drill, dubbed “Hot Winter 2,” was aimed at “strengthening the readiness” of fighting units and the army’s logistics “for sudden events and various scenarios in the northern arena,” referring to Hezbollah in Lebanon and other resistance groups across the region.

Some 8,000 conscripts and 5,000 reservist troops are participating in the drill, the Zionist military said, adding that the reservist troops were called up specifically for the drill.

“During the exercise, forces will practice dealing with being deployed in a sudden manner, in the face of operational scenarios in the northern arena, with an emphasis on the readiness of the logistics array, and cooperation between the ground forces units,” the ‘Israeli’ military said in a statement.

While the drill was a surprise for the troops involved, the military said the drill was planned in advance, indicating that it did not stem from a new assessment.

The Zionist military has held several major drills focused on fighting in the north in recent months.

Hezbollah has long represented the most significant military threat to the occupying regime, with an estimated arsenal of nearly 150,000 rockets and missiles that can reach anywhere in the country.

According to recent military assessments, should war with Hezbollah break out, ‘Israeli’-occupied Palestinian cities could be bombarded with between 1,500 and 3,000 rockets a day and the death toll could quickly reach into the hundreds.

Other resistance groups could join in a potential battle alongside Hezbollah with missiles and drone attacks, according to other assessments.