Israeli Army Exercise for Attacks on the West Bank and Lebanon

In this exercise, the Israeli army rehearsed more than 40 potential combat scenarios, supported by around 180 aircraft from the ground forces. Alongside the army’s ground and air units, technology and logistics units, police forces, and the Magen David Adom emergency service also took part. For the first time in Israeli military drills, two regional divisions under Central Command entered operations simultaneously.

The Judea and Samaria Division (Division 417) is one of the ground force divisions under Central Command, composed of five brigades and various military units. It is tasked with securing the West Bank and countering Palestinian resistance groups in the area. Its mission focuses on asymmetric warfare (preventing terrorist attacks, suppressing uprisings), protecting settlements, and coordinating intelligence-security operations with Israeli agencies and the Palestinian Authority.

The Gilead 96 Division consists of one infantry brigade and three armored brigades, responsible for defending the northern front of occupied Palestine and the occupied Golan Heights.

The joint participation of these two divisions in Lion’s Roar demonstrates the Israeli army’s readiness to confront simultaneous threats along the northern and eastern borders of Palestine. In practice, the drill serves as preparation for a large-scale offensive on the West Bank as the primary target, alongside potential clashes in southern Lebanon or across the Lebanese front.

Israeli commanders stress that lessons were learned from the October 7 “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation, and the purpose of this exercise is to improve reaction speed against resistance actions and strengthen Israel’s defensive structure against unconventional threats. However, the operational framework of the drill suggests that Israel is preparing for a new offensive against resistance groups in the West Bank, likely accompanied by simultaneous conflict in Lebanon.

Although Israeli media reports did not explicitly mention threats from Yemen or Iran, it is likely that scenarios involving missile and drone attacks from these actors were also rehearsed.

Overall, the Israeli army appears to be preparing to dismantle resistance cells in the West Bank and establish full control over the area—an approach that further undermines the prospect of a two-state solution.