The Israeli military on Thursday concluded a wide-scale drill on the Golan Heights meant to "improve the emergency and wartime readiness of the Northern Command and exercise multidimensional command and General Staff scenarios in the sector."
Concluded against the backdrop of an Israeli airstrike that eliminated an Islamic State terrorist cell that approached the Israel-Syria border, the exercise included offensive, defensive and maneuvering scenarios, fighting on multiple fronts simultaneously for a prolonged period of time, and adapting to fast-paced wartime dynamics on the ground.
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit stressed the drill was a routine one, saying it was held as part of the military's annual training and combat readiness plan.
Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman observed part of the drill Thursday and met with Head of the Air Defense Command Brig. Gen. Tzvika Haimovich.
Commenting on the recent developments in Syria, where Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces are now again in control of the area near the Israeli border, Lieberman predicted that the Golan Heights frontier would be calmer with Assad's rule restored.
Before the Syrian civil war began in 2011 and throughout the seven years of fighting, Israel and Syria have mostly been careful to observe the 1974 cease-fire agreement between them.
The conflict has seen several small flare-ups between the two enemy states, but both have sought to contain tensions.
"From our perspective, the situation is returning to how it was before the civil war, meaning there is someone in charge, a central ruler," Lieberman told reporters.
Asked whether Israelis should be less wary of potential flare-ups on the Golan, he said, "I believe so."
But he then qualified that saying, "Syrian soil cannot be used as a staging ground for Iranian attacks against Israel and Syria cannot be used as a conduit for weapons smuggling to Hezbollah. ... We remain ready and willing and we will prove our abilities at the moment of truth. We will not compromise when it comes to our security interests."
