IDF implements Oct. 7 lessons in large Judea, Samaria drill

The drill went ahead despite a complex security reality and was conducted alongside ongoing operational activity in the Judea and Samaria region.

By JNS

The Israel Defense Forces has completed a three-day “Lion’s Roar” military training exercise in the Judea, Samaria and Jordan Valley area, which involved the Judea and Samaria Division and the recently established 96th Division, led by the Central Command, the Israeli army announced on Wednesday.

More than 180 Israeli Air Force aircraft provided aerial support to the troops on the ground, who trained for more than 40 different scenarios, the IDF said.

The exercise incorporated lessons learned from the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, including initial strikes, recognizing the critical impact of early response, rapid readiness, deployment of special forces and full mobilization of IDF troops, the army added.

Among the scenarios practiced were attacks on military posts, terrorist infiltrations into multiple communities simultaneously, terror attacks during reserve troop mobilization, combat in densely built-up areas, rescue of trapped individuals, response to mass-casualty incidents and medical evacuation under extreme conditions.

The following branches and units took part in the exercise: troops and representatives from the Central Command, the Israeli Air Force (IAF), the Operations Directorate, the Intelligence Directorate, the Israel Security Agency (ISA), the Civil Administration, the Enemy Simulation Unit, the Command’s Communications Units, the Technological and Logistics Directorate, Magen David Adom and the Israel Police.

The drill went ahead despite a complex security reality and was conducted alongside ongoing operational activity in the Judea and Samaria region, including counterterrorism activities in the camps, the military said.

“The IDF will continue to conduct regular exercises to ensure high readiness, strengthen cooperation among all troops, and maintain the security of residents in the area and of all Israeli civilians,” it added.

Palestinian terrorists targeted Israeli Jews in Judea and Samaria at least 6,343 times last year, according to figures published by the Rescuers Without Borders (Hatzalah Judea and Samaria) NGO on Feb. 17.

Twenty-seven Israelis were murdered in Judea and Samaria in 2024, and more than 300 others were wounded, the group said in its annual report.