WhatsappThe message coming from IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir is unmistakable: Israel is not assuming the current calm will last.
Speaking during a situational assessment at the Judea and Samaria Division on Sunday, Zamir made clear that while Israeli forces continue dismantling terrorist networks across Judea and Samaria, the military is simultaneously preparing for the possibility that the regional war could reignite at any moment.
The immediate trigger was today’s launches toward the Aqaba area, another reminder that even when Israel is not the direct target, the strategic environment remains highly volatile. The IDF has already raised the readiness level of its air defense systems while carefully monitoring developments in Iran and across the wider Middle East.
This is exactly what a military learns after nearly three years of continuous regional conflict. Victory is not merely about defeating today’s threat; it is about ensuring tomorrow’s surprise never happens.
Israel Is Fighting One War on Multiple Fronts
One of the most important points in Zamir’s remarks was not the air defenses themselves, but his description of Israel’s reality as a multi-dimensional, multi-front campaign.
That phrase matters.
Israel is no longer dealing with isolated security incidents. The battlefields of Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Judea and Samaria, the Red Sea, Iraq, Yemen, and Iran have become increasingly interconnected.
Iran’s strategy has always relied on surrounding Israel with proxy armies capable of opening multiple fronts simultaneously. Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Shiite militias in Iraq and Syria, and the Houthis were never independent actors. They were designed to function as one regional network directed and supplied by Tehran.
Today, that network is under enormous pressure.
Hamas has suffered devastating losses in Gaza. Hezbollah’s operational freedom in southern Lebanon has been dramatically reduced. Iranian weapons routes through Syria continue to face disruption, and American military pressure against Iranian assets has expanded significantly.
Yet Tehran remains dangerous precisely because weakened regimes often become more unpredictable.
That explains why Israel refuses to lower its guard.
Judea and Samaria Cannot Become the Next Front
While much of the world’s attention remains focused on Iran and Gaza, Zamir emphasized that Judea and Samaria remains one of Israel’s highest operational priorities.
The numbers speak for themselves.
According to the Chief of Staff, terrorist attacks in Judea and Samaria are now among the lowest levels seen in recent years. That did not happen by accident.
It is the result of relentless nightly raids, intelligence cooperation between the IDF and Shin Bet, precision arrests, weapons seizures, and constant pressure against terrorist infrastructure before attacks can materialize.
Unlike previous years, Israel is increasingly adopting a preventative strategy rather than simply responding after attacks occur.
That proactive doctrine has saved countless Israeli lives.
Internal Stability Is Also National Security
One of the more noteworthy parts of Zamir’s comments addressed an issue that receives far less international attention: nationalist crime carried out by extremist Jewish individuals.
His message was unusually direct.
Such actions, he said, damage both Israel’s security and the settlement enterprise itself.
This is an important distinction.
The overwhelming majority of residents in Judea and Samaria are law-abiding families building communities under extremely difficult security conditions. Acts of illegal violence not only violate Israeli law but also divert security resources, create unnecessary friction, and hand Israel’s adversaries propaganda victories.
For that reason, Zamir made clear that the IDF, Shin Bet, and Israeli Police will continue working together to combat these incidents while maintaining the broader fight against Palestinian terrorism.
Maintaining internal discipline is itself part of national resilience.
The Lesson of October 7
Perhaps the most significant takeaway from Zamir’s remarks was what he did not explicitly say.
Since October 7, Israel’s security doctrine has fundamentally changed.
Waiting for threats to mature is no longer considered acceptable.
Whether the threat comes from Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Iraq, or Iran itself, Israel increasingly seeks to identify danger early, maintain constant operational readiness, and retain the ability to strike immediately when necessary.
That is why air defense systems remain on heightened alert even during relatively quiet periods.
That is why reserve forces continue training.
And that is why commanders across every front are being instructed to prepare for rapid escalation rather than assume deterrence alone will prevent war.
Readiness Is the Best Deterrent
Zamir’s message was ultimately one of vigilance rather than alarm.
Israel is not mobilizing because war is inevitable.
It is preparing because the Middle East remains fundamentally unstable, Iran continues seeking opportunities through its regional network, and strategic surprises have proven extraordinarily costly in the past.
The strongest deterrent is not simply possessing advanced weapons.
It is convincing every adversary that if they choose to attack, Israel is already ready.
That appears to be exactly the posture the IDF intends to maintain.
