JERUSALEM (VINnews) — The Israel Defense Forces held a surprise exercise Sunday to test the alertness of the General Staff and main headquarters and the military’s ability to respond to a sudden, large-scale attack on multiple fronts.
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The drill, titled “Breaking Dawn 2.0,” was conducted under the direction of Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir as part of the Operations Directorate’s 2026 training schedule.
Headquarters of all regional commands, directorates and branches were placed on alert without prior notice and tasked with responding to a range of scenarios. Those included ground, air and maritime incursions; rocket fire combined with shooting attacks; mass-casualty incidents; and abductions and hostage situations. The exercise was designed to test the IDF’s defensive doctrine and the implementation of defensive orders across sectors.
Standby forces and reserves were activated by land and air, including the mobilization of battalions and special units. Forces were dispatched to various arenas to respond as quickly as possible.
The drill also assessed cooperation among the air, ground and naval arms, as well as decision-making and operational responses at every level, from regional commands and directorates to the General Staff.
The IDF said it will conduct an in-depth review of lessons from the exercise, identifying both vulnerabilities and strengths, with the aim of improving defensive capabilities and readiness for a range of scenarios.