Police Official Slams IDF for Excluding Force from Surprise Drill

A senior police official has launched a scathing critique of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for excluding the police from a surprise military exercise, "Cost of Dawn 2.0," which began Sunday. The official told Walla News that the decision not to involve the police indicates that lessons from the October 7th Hamas attacks have not been learned.

"It's a disgrace that the police were not included in the drill. We haven't learned anything from October 7th," the official stated, emphasizing that if the police are not integrated into the security concept, "the country will pay dearly." He added, "They must wake up."

The police official argued that the IDF's failure to include them demonstrates a lack of understanding of the police's capabilities and their essential role in national security. "We are not replacing the army, and officers don't need soldiers, but we must be a part of it," he asserted.

Following the surprise military drill, which proceeded without police participation, the IDF and the police conducted a joint exercise in Eilat on Monday. This joint drill simulated a scenario involving terrorist infiltration into the city.