RT.com
23 Jun 2022, 07:37 GMT+10
The military exercises simulated renewed unrest along Israel's northern border amid a territorial dispute with Lebanon
Israel and the United States have carried out joint military drills aiming to coordinate air defenses, intelligence and logistics in the event that fighting breaks out with armed groups in southern Lebanon, Haaretz reported on Wednesday.
Conducted over the last week and overseen by US Central Command (CENTCOM) and the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), the exercises aimed to prepare both countries for "a military escalation on Israel's northern front," according to the newspaper.
However, while CENTCOM and the IDF gamed out a number of scenarios, the two sides did not discuss the possibility of "active US involvement" in Israeli strikes on Hezbollah, a militant group and political organization based in southern Lebanon which has clashed on and off with Israeli forces since its founding in the 1980s.
This week's drill nonetheless focused on the potential for fighting in Israel's north, as well as how to respond to "Iranian involvement alongside Hezbollah in Lebanon," Haaretz added.
Though US military ties with Israel were previously coordinated under the European Command (EUCOM), those responsibilities were passed to CENTCOM last September. The move has resulted in increased cooperation between the two sides, including the latest round of exercises. Similar drills had not been held under EUCOM for several years, instead focusing on defensive systems alone.
The IDF announced that it would conduct exercises along the border with Lebanon last week, including artillery drills, though did not mention any American involvement at the time.
READ MORE: Israel warned Iran may 'attack directly'
The military activity comes amid a territorial spat between Israel and Lebanon, with the two sides laying competing claims to energy-rich areas of the Mediterranean. Earlier this month, Lebanese President Michel Aoun warned that any attempt to tap the offshore riches without first resolving the dispute would be seen as a "provocation," while recent Israeli media reports have stated the IDF is preparing for a possible attack on drilling platforms near the contested waters.
Get a daily dose of Middle East Star news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Middle East Star.
More InformationLONDON, U.K.: British oil giant Shell has denied reports that it is in talks to acquire rival oil company BP. The Wall Street Journal...
LONDON, U.K.: A little-known investment fund based in the United Arab Emirates has emerged as the most prominent public backer of U.S....
New Delhi [India], July 2 (ANI): The Indian rupee is expected to trade in the range of 85.25-86.25 against the US dollar in the near...
New Delhi [India], July 2 (ANI): The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has appointed Kesavan Ramachandran as Executive Director of RBI with...
The inflation is driven by the price of services, which recorded a yearly inflation rate of 3.3 percent in June, up from 3.2 percent...
DUBAI, 1st July 2025 (WAM) -- Emirates will be layering on more retrofitted Boeing 777s and Airbus A380s on its existing schedules...
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday claimed Elon Musk's success has been built on government subsidies. Without...
EVERGLADES, Florida: Over the weekend, a diverse coalition of environmental activists, Native American leaders, and residents gathered...
BEIJING, China: China's national soccer team may struggle to stir excitement, but its humanoid robots are drawing cheers — and not...
]LONDON, U.K.: A World Health Organization (WHO) expert group investigating the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic released its final...
DOVER, Delaware: California Governor Gavin Newsom has taken legal aim at Fox News, accusing the network of deliberately distorting...
FRANKFURT, Germany: Germany has become the latest country to challenge Chinese AI firm DeepSeek over its data practices, as pressure...