Israel Plans Major WMD Attack Drill

Israel plans to respond to simulated chemical and biological weapon attacks early next month during what would be the nation’s largest ever emergency drill, the Jerusalem Post reported (see GSN, March 20, 2007).

At the beginning of the five-day exercise scheduled to begin April 6, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is expected to organize a response to the mock attacks in a meeting with Cabinet officials in Jerusalem.

The drill is expected to involve the Israeli Defense Forces; additional military services; fire, police and other emergency agencies; and all hospitals in the nation.

As sirens sound around the country, rescue workers are expected to evacuate “hit zones” affected by WMD or other attacks while hospitals conduct exercises simulating the treatment of thousands of injured people.

On one day of the drill, all government workers would be relocated to bomb shelters by their ministries while civilians are evacuated to public shelters near their residences.

Israel’s new National Emergency Authority planned the exercise in preparation for a nuclear-armed Iran or chemical and biological weapon attacks from an enemy state, basing elements of its scenario on information gleaned from the 2006 Lebanon war between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants (Yaakov Katz, Jerusalem Post, March 17).

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