IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir on Thursday began his first day in office by meeting with soldiers and commanders positioned in Gaza. During his visit, Zamir met the soldiers and surprised their commanders as well - including Southern Command chief Yaron Finkelman - by announcing a surprise exercise. Yediot Aharonot reported that Zamir declared that "the post is under attack" and presented a scenario similar to the October 7 massacre. He then went from position to position and asked the soldiers questions about the region and the threats. Related articles: Haredi battalion eliminates sniper who tried to kill them twice IDF gets first haredi battalion commander 'Always be ready and alert, you are our stop line' Netzach Yehuda soldiers receive medals of excellence As the exercise concluded, he told the company commander, "Such an attack will happen. It is not a question of 'if,' but of 'when,' and you need to be prepared." Following the exercise, Zamir spoke with the Netzach Yehuda soldiers, saying, "We must always be ready, we must always be tense, we must always be suspicious, always practice. If you look behind you, you'll see the houses of Sderot - you are protecting the civilian residents in Sderot. You are our line of defense." "You obviously have a great responsibility," he concluded. "I trust you, and I am sure you will do your service in the best way possible. You have excellent commanders, and we have excellent soldiers. We will be able to fulfill all of our tasks in the best way possible."
