JERUSALEM / ISTANBUL

The Israeli army launched a three-day military exercise on Monday in the occupied West Bank and the Jordan Valley.

A military statement said drones and various weapons will be used during the drill, and “increased movement of security forces and aircraft will be felt in the area.”

Israel’s public broadcaster KAN said the exercise will simulate repelling events similar to those of Oct. 7, 2023.

The Israeli army launched a deadly assault in the Gaza Strip in October 2023, killing more than 69,000 people, mostly women and children, and injuring over 170,000 others.

Tel Aviv also escalated its attacks in the occupied West Bank during the same period, killing more than 1,069 Palestinians and injuring 10,300 others, Palestinian figures showed.

In a landmark opinion last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.