IDF kicks off month-long drill aimed at preparing for war with Hezbollah

The Israel Defense Forces launches a month-long series of exercises to improve the military’s preparedness for a war against the Lebanese Hezbollah terror group.

The drills — known collectively as “Hewn Stone,” or in Hebrew, “Even Gazit” — will “simulate multi-front, intensive and drawn-out combat, with conscripted and reservist troops taking part, from all headquarters of the Northern Command, in collaboration with the General Staff directorates, the Ground Forces, Air Force, and Navy,” the IDF says.

All levels of the IDF Northern Command will participate in the exercises, up to entire divisions. “The goal of the exercises is improving the defensive and offensive capabilities of the IDF against a variety of scenarios,” the military says.

The Hewn Stone exercise is being held alongside a major nationwide home front exercise, which launched earlier today, that is also meant to simulate a war against Hezbollah, but from the standpoint of emergency services, rather than military forces.

The IDF says the drills were planned in advance as part of the 2021 training schedule.