Comptroller report finds IDF not prepared to handle chemical weapons attack

The Israel Defense Forces is not fully prepared to handle and operate during a chemical weapons attack, according to a new state comptroller report.

The State Comptroller’s Office finds a number of issues in the preparedness of combat troops to fight under the conditions of a chemical attack, as well as in the training and maintenance of the military units that are specifically meant to respond to atomic, biological and chemical attacks, so-called ABC battalions.

The comptroller report does however praise the military’s recent efforts to upgrade its equipment that is used to counteract chemical attacks.

The military responds to the report, saying that it is generally aware of the problems and is taking steps to address the lacunae noted in the comptroller’s assessment.

“The IDF thanks the state comptroller for carrying out this intensive check into this critical topic. The IDF is studying the findings of the report and has already begun to address the issues — in both the headquarters and in the field — after receiving a draft of the report,” the military says in a statement.

The threat of chemical attack has become more substantial over the past decade as Syrian dictator Bashar Assad’s regime has repeatedly demonstrated a willingness to use such weapons in its civil war, raising concerns that he could use them in a conflict with Israel, which remains technically at war with Damascus.

— Judah Ari Gross