IDF chief, visiting snap exercise on Jordan border: Oct. 7 taught us we must always be ready

Visiting a snap training drill on the Jordanian border this morning, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir says that one of the main lessons learned from Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught “is the need for a high and constant level of readiness for a surprise attack on our borders.”

“This is what we are practicing here today, a General Staff exercise simulating defense against a wide-scale terrorist attack with complex scenarios in a challenging sector, with the mission of defending our borders and the residents of the area as our top priority,” he says.

“This exercise is an important and significant drill that reflects the lessons we have learned and implemented, as well as the great importance we place on these sectors. It is our duty to strengthen our preparedness and remain alert and vigilant in the face of a surprise attack scenario,” Zamir adds.

The pre-planned drill, dubbed “Sulfur and Fire,” began overnight and is scheduled to last until the afternoon hours today.

The military says the drill will “examine the IDF’s level of alertness and preparedness for a variety of sudden operational scenarios, while drilling headquarters and forces at all levels, from the General Staff to troops operating on the ground,” with a focus on the 96th and 80th divisions, tasked with the Jordanian border.

During his visit, the IDF says, Zamir held an assessment and examined the forces’ conduct.