Israel conducts drill simulating rocket and cyber attacks

The Israeli army began a surprise emergency drill on Monday, as part of a training plan to defend Israel from rockets fired from Lebanon, the Israeli news website Walla! reported.

Hundreds of thousands of ground forces reserves, as well as navy and air force personnel, received an emergency message early on Monday from the General Staff of the Israeli army via the country's automatic dialler system, ordering them to report for a virtual emergency scenario.

According to the news site, thousands of soldiers will actively participate in a mass drill in which military commanders will be required to reach emergency stores, and called-up ground forces reach sites posing as areas of large-scale destruction for the purposes of the drill.

A high-ranking officer told Walla! that the drill was unexpected, and the largest of its kind for the Israeli army in recent years. It is expected to conclude on Wednesday.

The scenario set to be followed during the training includes operations on the borders with Lebanon, the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights, and the Gaza Strip, and will include 'rocket attacks' from Lebanon and the Gaza Strip causing large-scale destruction.

The Israeli air force will train on finding and attacking their targets, while naval forces are set to mobilise to simulate a state of war and protect strategic sites and infrastructure.

The drill will also include a non-traditional cyber-defence section, which will measure Israel's responsiveness to a cyber-attack.