Israel launches surprise military drill in West Bank

Israeli soldiers during the surprise drill. | Photo: AFP

The Israeli army launched a surprise military drill in the West Bank Sunday, the first in three years.

Israeli authorities told Palestinians that the drill will likely last for two days. The Israeli move coincided with Palestinian authorities announcing that they could potentially dissolve security cooperation with Israel in the West Bank and other agreements between both countries.

"Decisions will be taken regarding all forms of relations with Israel," Mahmoud Al-Aloul, a senior official of President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement, told reporters Sunday.

The army mobilized around 13,000 soldiers and bullet-proof vehicles. Aerial and intelligence units are also taking place in the drill.

“We activated all of the operational forces that are part of the Central Command's emergency responses. This includes many ground forces, the air force, intelligence, and extensive cooperation with the Shin Bet. Special forces are involved too,” said a military quoted by the Jerusalem Post.

Footage of the exercise filmed by an Israeli television station showed soldiers in armored vehicles practicing how to handle casualties at the scene of a confrontation and other soldiers detaining soldiers dressed as Palestinian rioters.

Asked about the timing of the drill, a military spokeswoman told reporters that it was "not necessarily linked to anything specific".

Tensions have been high between both countries since Israel last month suspended transfer of vital tax funds to protest against the Palestinians joining the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The ICC is conducting a probe over war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Israel during Operation Protective Edge in 2014.

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