Against the backdrop of rising tension on multiple fronts, the IDF has completed a surprise General Staff–level drill called “Magen Oz,” simulating full-scale conflict and testing commanders’ ability to respond to sudden developments.
According to the IDF, the two-day drill began with an unannounced inspection in the Northern Command on the Golan Heights, where Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir personally supervised rapid decision-making exercises, force deployment, and simultaneous threat response.
Zamir stressed that shifting from defense to offense must be swift and decisive on any front. The maneuver covered all branches: Air Force, Navy, ground forces, intelligence, Home Front Command, and all three regional commands. It focused on command-and-control under time pressure and limited information, drawing heavily on lessons from the last war. The army says intensified training will continue.
At the same time, the IDF launched a wide security operation in the northern West Bank with Shin Bet and Border Police units to disrupt organized terrorist activity. The army vowed not to allow armed cells to regroup, calling the operation a proactive effort to dismantle terrorist infrastructure.