'Best Defense Is To Attack': IDF General Concludes 'Lethal Arrow' War Simulation

By Staff Reporter
Posted on 10/29/20 | News Source: i24

Turnout of reservists 'total,' IDF Maj. Gen. Hacohen says, despite COVID-19 concerns

The Israel Defense Forces successfully concluded its "Lethal Arrow" drill on Thursday, which Maj. Gen. (Res.) Gershon Hacohen said had sent “a message to all those who try to deny the concrete threat of Hezbollah, and who speak of the movement as a simple terrorist threat.”

“Hezbollah poses a concrete threat to Israel, has more than 100,000 rockets, threatening our civilian population,” the general told i24NEWS in an exclusive interview with Matthias Inbar, which aired on "The Rundown."

The general was the deputy director of the exercise that began on Sunday, and spent the week monitoring the war games that simulated a conflict in northern Israel.

One of the biggest challenges was ensuring the safety of soldiers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite misgivings about expected absences due to Coronavirus fears among reservists, Hacohen said, “Their turnout was total in all divisions and chains of command.”

The proximity to the Lebanese border of Israeli communities, such as Metula and Shlomi, means that the IDF’s “best defense is to attack,” the general said. “The IDF, as it is used to, trains in offensive operations.”

Hacohen said that modern warfare requires a high level of coordination, combining crucial technology, likening the army’s tactical cooperation to a concert. Read more at i24