Israeli Reserve Units Called Up for Readiness Drill of Hizbullah War

The Israel Defense Forces called up reserve units as part of its month-long series of military drills in the north of the country under the Northern Command. The call-up of reservists on Monday was meant to test the readiness of reserve troops in case of a sudden outbreak of war on the Lebanese border.

During the exercise simulating the outbreak of war with Hizbullah in Lebanon, reserve troops received text messages and phone calls asking them to report to their units.

A month-long series of exercises, called “Even Gazit” in Hebrew, or “Hewn Stone,” began Sunday to help improve the military’s preparedness for a war against Hizbullah in Lebanon. Northern Command ground forces will participate, alongside the General Staff directorates, the Ground Forces, Air Force, and Navy, according to the IDF. The drill comes at the same time as a nationwide home front exercise, which also launched Sunday. The Israel Defense Forces’ Homefront Command and the Defense Ministry’s National Emergency Management Authority are holding the five-day drill starting on Sunday to simulate the effects of a large-scale war in northern Israel on the civilian population.