EILAT, Israel — The Israeli army announced a large-scale military exercise scheduled to begin Monday in the Red Sea city of Eilat and the Arava Valley, which runs along the Jordanian border.
The exercise will be led by the army's 80th Division. Starting Sunday, residents in the region will observe increased movement of security forces, aircraft, and naval vessels.
Forces will train for a broad spectrum of scenarios, including simulating sudden assaults and responding to infiltrations launched from the air, by sea, or over land. The army did not specify the exact length of the exercise, stating only that the drills would occur "over the coming days."
Key objectives include testing the defense systems of Israeli communities near the Jordanian border and within the Eilat area, improving the readiness of troops stationed in the region, and strengthening aerial and naval capabilities.
The military described the exercise as part of an "ongoing process to strengthen readiness and competence" and to "examine lessons learned from combat and security incidents in recent years."
This announcement follows months of increased warnings concerning potential infiltrations across Israel's eastern border.
One week prior to this upcoming drill, the Israeli army conducted a separate exercise in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights focused on enhancing readiness for "surprise and complex attacks."
In June, Israeli military sources reported thwarting an attempted maritime infiltration near Eilat's hotel area. According to Israel's Channel 15, the navy detected a person on a jet ski approaching the hotel area from the direction of the Jordanian border. Israeli forces fired warning shots, then opened fire when the individual failed to stop. The person retreated back toward the Jordanian side. Jordan offered no public comment on the Israeli account of the incident.
