Yom Kippur drill: IDF simulates war call-up

The IDF is taking no chances on the eve of Yom Kippur. In an unusual and rare step, The IDF's General Staff alerted two reserve divisions as part of an emergency drill in army bases in central and northern Israel. The purpose of the exercise was to test the soldiers' level of response and readiness for war.

IDF chief Gantz with reserve soldiers (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

On Wednesday evening, at 6 pm, reserve soldiers received a phone call ordering them to report to their units immediately. The drill ended on Thursday at 4 pm.

The army decided to hold the exercise in the backdrop of recent developments in the Middle East and some 48 hours prior to Yom Kippur.

Israel's Virtual Security Fence

In the shadow of recent security incidents in the south, a virtual fence that will aid in the detection and prevention of infiltration attempts will be set up on the Israel-Egypt border in the coming year.
Magna Technologies, a defense systems company, will be entrusted with constructing the virtual fence, which will cost millions of dollars.
The virtual fence will operate alongside the physical barrier currently being built along the Israel-Egypt border.
"Such a system would have surely prevented the terror attacks in the south," said Magna CEO Haim Siboni. "I believe that recent events will accelerate the process of constructing the fence, but this has been a long process of tests and checks over the past seven years."
http://www.idf.il/1283-12992-EN/Dover.aspx