Israel Military to Conduct Large-Scale Eilat Defense Drill Amid Attack Warnings

In response to Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar's warnings about a potential surprise attack on Eilat, Israeli security forces will conduct an extensive drill in the city and the Arava region starting Monday. The exercise will simulate incursions into Israel from the air, sea, and land, testing the defense of Eilat and nearby communities against multiple simultaneous threats.

The drill, led by Division 80, aims to assess the forces' readiness for complex scenarios and inter-organizational cooperation. It will involve ground troops, the Air Force, the Navy, the Israel Police, and Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency medical services. Significant military and naval activity is expected in the area starting Sunday.

This exercise comes approximately two and a half months after reports surfaced of Bar's private concerns that Eilat could become the target of a large-scale attack, potentially via the land border with Jordan or the sea. At the time, the Shin Bet stated there was no specific intelligence indicating an imminent attack.

Both the IDF and the police emphasized that the current drill was pre-scheduled as part of the Operations Directorate's 2026 exercise plan and is not a reaction to a specific, immediate threat. The exercise will also incorporate lessons learned from recent combat and security events. A similar drill was held in the Golan Heights last week to bolster preparedness for complex surprise attacks.