“This is the foundation of a professional army, alert and prepared to defend and to move quickly to the offensive to remove threats.”
By The IDF Club
The IDF began its large-scale General Staff exercise, Magen Oz, on Monday morning. The two day drill is designed to test and strengthen the army’s readiness for complex surprise scenarios while rehearsing command level decision making across all fronts.
Under the direction of IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, the exercise opened with a surprise readiness test for the 210th Division to evaluate its response to a rapid breakout event. Commands will spend the next two days practicing situational assessments, decision making processes and force management in wartime conditions.
During the drill, residents of the Golan and the valleys will notice heavy troop movement, aircraft activity and the sound of training explosions. The IDF stressed that there is no security incident and the drill was scheduled in advance as part of the 2025 training program.
Lt. Gen. Zamir conducted an unannounced inspection of the 210th Division together with senior commanders. He trained the forces on the spot and reviewed their preparedness. Speaking with reservists, he emphasized the importance of constant readiness.
“The exercise is part of the lessons learned process and is meant to strengthen the IDF’s fitness and readiness at every level,” he said. “This is the foundation of a professional army, alert and prepared to defend and to move quickly to the offensive to remove threats.”
He added that after two years of war, the IDF continues operating on all fronts. “We are in the midst of absorbing and implementing lessons and reinforcing the army’s operational foundations. This comes from a deep commitment to ensure Israel’s security.”
Zamir concluded that maintaining broad readiness is essential. “Before anything else, we defend our home. The lessons from this drill will guide our decisions going forward and will help strengthen the IDF’s operational readiness.”
