The Israel Defense Forces on Monday kicked off a three-day exercise in the Judea, Samaria and Jordan Valley area, called “Lion’s Roar.”
“The IDF has begun a large-scale, multi-organizational, and multi-branch military exercise to enhance operational readiness for a variety of scenarios across Judea and Samaria and the Jordan Valley,” according to the military.
The exercise involves forces of the IDF’s Central Command, as well as “special units,” the Israeli Air Force, the IDF Technology and Logistics Directorate and other military branches and security forces, according to the statement.
The exercise was “pre-planned as part of the IDF’s 2025 annual training program, the statement noted.
According to the Binyamin Regional Council, the largest regional council in Judea and Samaria, the exercise “will involve the movement of many army vehicles throughout the area, significant activity in various communities and the mobilization of emergency response teams.”
As part of the drill, simulated enemy forces will be deployed in the area, which will be identified by designated vests, the council stated.
“Explosions are not expected to be heard in the area, but pyrotechnics may be used and smoke may be visible,” read the message to residents.
On Oct. 21, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir warned senior officers that terrorist elements could try to disturb the “stabilization processes” in the Middle East, particularly in Israel’s Judea and Samaria region.
The region is “in a period of significant change, which could bring new developments, and we must be prepared for all scenarios,” Zamir said during a visit to Central Command headquarters in Jerusalem.
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.
