Israel’s army chief says reinforcing troops on all fronts

Jerusalem - Israel's army chief, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, has announced that the military is bolstering troop levels across all fronts. This comes as the country approaches elections on October 27, which may see attempts to catch the nation off guard. Speaking during a visit to the occupied West Bank, Zamir highlighted the heightened risk of escalation due to the election period, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu facing a tight race to retain his position.

The Israeli military has increased its readiness, stating that they are prepared for scenarios where adversaries may aim to catch Israel by surprise. This heightened state of alert follows the third anniversary of Hamas's surprise attack on October 7, in which the Islamist group infiltrated Israel with pickup trucks and paragliders, launching a barrage of attacks on Israeli targets, including a music festival.

Despite the stability achieved following the US-brokered ceasefire in Gaza, the Israeli army maintains a high level of readiness to launch extensive offensive operations against any threat to Israeli civilians. In Lebanon, violence has diminished in the southern region following a framework agreement between the government and Israel, although its implementation has been delayed.

Israel has also been on high alert due to incoming fire from Iran since the start of the Middle East conflict in February, which saw US-Israeli strikes targeting the Islamic republic.