‘Dawn 2.0’: IDF chief launches readiness exercise ahead of Oct. 7 anniversary

A surprise Israeli military exercise titled “Dawn 2.0” began Sunday under the direction of IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir. The drill is designed to test how quickly the military’s headquarters and main command centers can respond to large-scale attacks.

The exercise will stage surprise scenarios and multi-scene events across all possible theaters of war. Commanders from every military unit were called up, forces were mobilized and the IDF’s reserve capabilities were placed under assessment.

The military said residents should expect increased movement of forces, including aircraft, throughout the country. It also stressed that the activity did not reflect concern about a current security incident. The drill is assessing operational plans alongside lessons drawn from fighting on multiple fronts and from the events of October 7.

The exercise began a day after The Jerusalem Post reported alleged Israeli intelligence assessments that Iran was preparing for a broad, coordinated attack on Israel from several fronts. Those reports described a possible campaign combining Iranian forces with Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas, the Houthis in Yemen and pro-Iranian militias in Iraq.

The reports also pointed to an alleged Iranian effort to rebuild the “Axis of Resistance” and renew coordination between the different fronts. A report published the previous month said the IDF had identified renewed coordination between Hamas and Hezbollah with Iranian assistance, while a published IDF assessment said the two groups had already begun coordinating increased activity.