Under the direction of the Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, a surprise Chief of the General Staff’s exercise, titled “Breaking Dawn 2.0," was launched early Sunday morning to assess the readiness and preparedness of the IDF’s General Headquarters and main headquarters, the order of standby forces, and the ability to respond to a sudden, complex, and large-scale, multi-front scenario.
According to a statement from the IDF's Spokesperson's Unit, the exercise is intended to assess the IDF’s level of readiness and preparedness for a range of unexpected operational scenarios, the activation of standby forces and reserves, decision-making processes, and the operational response at all levels-from the regional commands, branches and directorates, to the General Staff in preparation and strengthening the defense for the upcoming holiday season.
As part of the surprise exercise, commanders across the regional commands, directorates, and branches were called up. Forces are also being mobilized, and reserves are being assessed.
The Chief of the General Staff is overseeing and observing the exercise from the Supreme Command Post and from the field.
As part of the exercise, increased movement of security forces and aircraft will be felt throughout the country. The IDF stressed that there is no concern regarding a security incident.
The surprise exercise is part of the IDF’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its foundations, as well as the operational readiness and preparedness of commanders and combat personnel at all levels. As part of the exercise, operational plans are being implemented and tested, alongside lessons learned from the combat across the various fronts and from the events of the October 7th Massacre.
IDF Comptroller officers, both in active-duty and reserves, are conducting inspections of units and headquarters to assess their operational readiness and preparedness.
The exercise is being conducted as part of the Operations Directorate’s 2026 exercise program.