Israeli Army Prepares Surprise Attack Drills Ahead of Parliamentary Elections
(MENAFN) The Israeli army announced Friday that it will conduct extensive military exercises across northern and central Israel on Sunday and Monday, rehearsing scenarios involving surprise attacks and aerial and ground infiltrations just days before the country's parliamentary elections.
The military said the exercises are intended to evaluate and strengthen its ability to defend against threats on multiple fronts and prepare forces for potential escalation along Israel's borders.
According to the army's statement, the drills will involve the air force and several military divisions, including the Northern Command's 210th Division, the West Bank Division, and the Central Command's 98th and 96th divisions.
Participating forces will practice responses to different attack scenarios, including sudden assaults and attempts to enter Israeli territory by air or land. The military also warned that residents in the areas involved could observe increased movements of troops, security personnel and aircraft during the exercises.
The army described the activities as part of its annual training program for 2026 and its broader efforts to maintain operational readiness and improve military performance. It emphasized that the scheduled drills did not indicate concerns about a specific security incident.
Although the exercises are taking place immediately before Tuesday's parliamentary elections, the military did not establish a direct connection between the training activities and the vote.
Military Readiness Raised Ahead Of Election Day
Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir announced Monday that the military would increase its readiness to the highest level, impose restrictions on soldiers' leave beginning Thursday and reinforce troop deployments across the occupied West Bank.
The measures were presented as part of preparations to ensure that the elections proceed safely and according to schedule.
The combination of heightened readiness, additional troop deployments and exercises simulating unexpected attacks has placed security preparations in focus ahead of the vote. However, the military's statements did not identify any specific imminent threat or confirm that an attack was expected.
The timing of the exercises could nevertheless bring national security issues further into public discussion during the final days of the election campaign, as political parties compete over issues including security, military preparedness and the country's wider regional challenges.
Poll Shows Netanyahu's Bloc Falling Behind Opposition
Meanwhile, an opinion poll published Friday by Maariv projected that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political bloc would secure 48 seats in the next Knesset, three fewer than in the newspaper's previous survey a week earlier.
The poll gave the Jewish opposition bloc a projected total of 54 seats, leaving both sides short of the 61 seats needed to form a majority in the 120-member parliament.
The results suggest that neither political camp would be able to secure a governing majority on its own if the projections were reflected in the election outcome, potentially creating another difficult period of coalition negotiations.
Within Netanyahu's bloc, his Likud party was projected to win 19 seats. Itamar Ben-Gvir's Jewish Power and United Torah Judaism were each forecast to receive seven seats, while Shas was projected to win eight. Bezalel Smotrich's Religious Zionism party was also expected to secure seven seats.
The figures indicate that Netanyahu's allies would collectively fall short of the parliamentary support required to establish a majority government.
Opposition Parties Lead Seat Projections
Among opposition parties, Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party was projected to emerge as the largest with 21 seats.
Naftali Bennett's Together party followed with 15 seats, while Yair Golan's Democrats were forecast to win 10. Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu party was projected to receive eight seats.
Despite the opposition bloc's projected advantage over Netanyahu's camp, its combined total would also remain below the parliamentary majority threshold.
The poll therefore points to a potentially fragmented Knesset in which forming a government could depend on negotiations among multiple parties and their willingness to cooperate.
With election day approaching, military preparations and political uncertainty are unfolding simultaneously. The scheduled exercises are intended to test the army's readiness, while the polling figures indicate that the election could leave both major camps facing significant challenges in assembling a governing coalition.
The military said the exercises are intended to evaluate and strengthen its ability to defend against threats on multiple fronts and prepare forces for potential escalation along Israel's borders.
According to the army's statement, the drills will involve the air force and several military divisions, including the Northern Command's 210th Division, the West Bank Division, and the Central Command's 98th and 96th divisions.
Participating forces will practice responses to different attack scenarios, including sudden assaults and attempts to enter Israeli territory by air or land. The military also warned that residents in the areas involved could observe increased movements of troops, security personnel and aircraft during the exercises.
The army described the activities as part of its annual training program for 2026 and its broader efforts to maintain operational readiness and improve military performance. It emphasized that the scheduled drills did not indicate concerns about a specific security incident.
Although the exercises are taking place immediately before Tuesday's parliamentary elections, the military did not establish a direct connection between the training activities and the vote.
Military Readiness Raised Ahead Of Election Day
Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir announced Monday that the military would increase its readiness to the highest level, impose restrictions on soldiers' leave beginning Thursday and reinforce troop deployments across the occupied West Bank.
The measures were presented as part of preparations to ensure that the elections proceed safely and according to schedule.
The combination of heightened readiness, additional troop deployments and exercises simulating unexpected attacks has placed security preparations in focus ahead of the vote. However, the military's statements did not identify any specific imminent threat or confirm that an attack was expected.
The timing of the exercises could nevertheless bring national security issues further into public discussion during the final days of the election campaign, as political parties compete over issues including security, military preparedness and the country's wider regional challenges.
Poll Shows Netanyahu's Bloc Falling Behind Opposition
Meanwhile, an opinion poll published Friday by Maariv projected that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political bloc would secure 48 seats in the next Knesset, three fewer than in the newspaper's previous survey a week earlier.
The poll gave the Jewish opposition bloc a projected total of 54 seats, leaving both sides short of the 61 seats needed to form a majority in the 120-member parliament.
The results suggest that neither political camp would be able to secure a governing majority on its own if the projections were reflected in the election outcome, potentially creating another difficult period of coalition negotiations.
Within Netanyahu's bloc, his Likud party was projected to win 19 seats. Itamar Ben-Gvir's Jewish Power and United Torah Judaism were each forecast to receive seven seats, while Shas was projected to win eight. Bezalel Smotrich's Religious Zionism party was also expected to secure seven seats.
The figures indicate that Netanyahu's allies would collectively fall short of the parliamentary support required to establish a majority government.
Opposition Parties Lead Seat Projections
Among opposition parties, Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party was projected to emerge as the largest with 21 seats.
Naftali Bennett's Together party followed with 15 seats, while Yair Golan's Democrats were forecast to win 10. Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu party was projected to receive eight seats.
Despite the opposition bloc's projected advantage over Netanyahu's camp, its combined total would also remain below the parliamentary majority threshold.
The poll therefore points to a potentially fragmented Knesset in which forming a government could depend on negotiations among multiple parties and their willingness to cooperate.
With election day approaching, military preparations and political uncertainty are unfolding simultaneously. The scheduled exercises are intended to test the army's readiness, while the polling figures indicate that the election could leave both major camps facing significant challenges in assembling a governing coalition.
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