Israeli Army on High Alert Ahead of Elections, Chief of Staff Says

The Israeli Army has significantly increased its readiness and alert levels across all fronts to thwart security threats and ensure the upcoming democratic elections proceed on schedule without external interference, according to Army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir. Zamir made these remarks during a visit to a large-scale training exercise for the Gaza Division, aimed at enhancing the division's and its units' preparedness for various scenarios.

Zamir emphasized that the lessons from the October 7, 2023, attack remain central to the operations of the Gaza Division and the entire army, stressing the imperative to prevent a recurrence of the previous failure. He stated that the army has bolstered its defense systems, increased troop deployments on multiple fronts, and is actively working to neutralize any threat before it escalates.

The visit included senior military officials such as Southern Command Commander Yaniv Asor, Military Advocate General Itay Ofir, Gaza Division Commander Liron Batito, and Head of the Operations Division Barak Hiram. During the visit, Zamir reviewed the forces' readiness and capabilities for emergency missions, and a situation assessment focused on the division's war preparedness and operational plan execution against diverse scenarios.

Zamir acknowledged that Israel's adversaries have suffered severe blows but continue to plan attacks. He explained that the army operates on all fronts with a strategy of advanced defense and preemptive action against what he termed "terrorism," asserting that the military does not wait for threats but acts proactively to eliminate them.

In preparation for the elections, Zamir also chaired a situation assessment the previous day, issuing directives to enhance army readiness. These include a troop leave ban starting next Thursday, subject to ongoing security assessments, increased presence of senior commanders in operations rooms, reinforced troop deployments in the West Bank, and additional forces allocated to all fronts, land, air, and sea.

Separately, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video from an air force base, stating he had reviewed the forces' readiness to strike Israel's enemies. He issued a warning to adversaries not to test Israel's capabilities, promising severe retaliation, and praised the efforts of pilots and ground support crews.