The Israeli military began extensive exercises inside the country on Sunday, simulating sudden border infiltrations and ground attacks across northern and central Israel. Several divisions and air force units were mobilized as regional tensions continued to rise.
The 48-hour drills unfolded as an Israeli security expert drew a parallel with the 1973 Yom Kippur War, when Egypt and Syria used military exercises to mask preparations for a surprise assault. He cautioned that the region’s mounting tensions could lead to what he called a “dangerous miscalculation.”
The Israel Defense Forces said the operation includes the Northern Command’s 210th Division, the West Bank Division, and the Central Command’s 98th and 96th divisions, supported by the Israeli Air Force.
The exercise is not aimed directly at Iran, analysts said, but at Iranian proxies and other allies operating along Israel’s borders. ( Jalaa MAREY / AFP via Getty Images)
Scheduled shortly before Israel’s Oct. 27 elections, the exercise is intended to “maintain the forces’ alertness and readiness, strengthen the ability to defend communities, and make full use of aerial capabilities for defense in the area,” the IDF said.
The military said Friday that troops would rehearse “a variety of scenarios, including a surprise attack and infiltration into Israeli territory by air and land.” The drills incorporate lessons from the Hamas-led assault on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
“This exercise is mostly about non-state actors with or without Iranian support,” Israeli national security analyst Dr. Ehud Eilam told News Outlet.
“It’s aimed at those in Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan who might try to infiltrate into Israel or carry out ground raids. Some are backed by Iran; others are not. The operation could be directed by Iran or initiated locally.”
Iranian missiles are shown targeting Israel during the recent conflict. (Pool via WANA/Reuters)
“This is a massive exercise, the biggest one in recent years, aimed at protecting the borders,” said Eilam, a former researcher with Israel’s Ministry of Defense.
“It’s all about making sure election day on October 27 runs smoothly. It’s also a message to Iran and others: don’t try to provoke us on election day and disrupt the process.”
The Israeli operation came days after Tehran staged a show of force. During the event, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reportedly launched about 30 ballistic missiles from two different weapons classes.
The live-fire demonstration underscored Iran’s missile capabilities, renewed warnings for commercial vessels operating near the Strait of Hormuz, and prompted Israel to raise its alert level while keeping its forces prepared for a possible targeted strike against Iran.
The IDF is rehearsing surprise attacks and infiltration scenarios based on lessons from the Oct. 7, 2023, assault. (Amir Levy/Getty Images)
During a Wednesday visit to the IDF’s Central Command, Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said the danger of a broader escalation was increasing.
“Given the numerous warnings across all fronts and the sensitivity of the current period, the potential for escalation has increased,” Zamir said.
“To ensure better operational control on the ground, we have reinforced our troop deployments across all sectors, including moving the 98th Division into the area to strengthen security and stability.”
Eilam described the Israeli exercise as part of a broader deterrence effort, pointing to Iran’s recent military activity. “A few days ago, Iran held its own fairly large exercise, and that was actually more intimidating for Israel because it launched missiles and prepared for a war with Israel,” he said.
“This exercise on Sunday and Monday is against Iran’s proxies and allies at the border of Israel,” Eilam added.
The drills also followed an Oct. 19 operation in which Israeli fighter jets and aerial-refueling tankers traveled roughly 800 miles through Syrian and Iraqi airspace to the vicinity of Iran’s border.
An Israeli fighter jet takes off for strikes in Tehran. (IDF)
Washington was notified in advance and viewed the maneuver as a non-kinetic show of force following the postponement of a broader strike package earlier in the month.
Despite the deterrence signals, Eilam warned that large-scale military exercises carry the “risk of miscalculation” and particularly when troop movements could be mistaken for preparations for an attack.
“During the Cold War, every time the Soviet Union or NATO carried out a major drill, having so many troops in the field meant they might attack if that was the intention,” Eilam said.
He pointed to the 1973 Yom Kippur War, when Egypt and Syria used military exercises to help conceal troop buildups along Israel’s borders.
Israeli intelligence largely dismissed the movements as routine drills, allowing the two countries to achieve strategic surprise when they launched a coordinated, two-front attack on Yom Kippur.
Military personnel perform during a military parade in Damascus, Syria, Dec. 8, 2025. (Khalil Ashawi/Reuters)
“The classic example in Israel is 1973, when Egypt and Syria conducted a major exercise just before the war that turned into the actual attack,” the analyst said.
“Israel and Iran are now watching each other very closely and both sides suspect the other might strike first,” Eilam added before stating that there is the chance of what they call “miscalculation — that each side suspects the other and strikes first by mistake.”
“It’s all about sending messages to each other.”
“It remains uncertain whether there will eventually be an Israeli attack on Iran because it depends on U.S. authorization,” Eilam concluded.
“Right now, both sides are signaling: ‘We are ready, don’t mess with us, but we don’t want to start a war right now.'”
