Preparations for a week-long nationwide drill in Israel, starting today, have come amidst grim warnings of potential casualties in the event of another conflict.

The IDF’s Home Front Command has released information on its worst case scenario, where Israel would be attacked simultaneously by Hamas, Hizbollah, Syria and even Iran.

230,000 rockets could be fired over the length and breadth of Israel, with at least 1,500 rocket attacks per day. Most would be short range missiles, but the Jerusalem Post has reported Hizbollah has the capability to strike central Israel with dozens of long-range rockets per day.

Even if, as the scenario predicts, just 1% of all rockets fired score a direct hit on inhabited buildings, casualties could be in the region of 350-400.

A message on the IDF Home Front Command website informed Israeli citizens that on September 20, there will be “a National Home Front Drill”. Sirens will sound throughout the country during a ten minute period from 11:05-11:15am.

Civilians can practice, the message continues, by “entering your closest protected space and making sure you’re ready.”
The brunt of any Hizbollah attack would fall on the North, and according to the Hamodia newspaper, up to 750,000 Israeli civilians could be forced to vacate their homes. Of those internal refugees, 95,000 could be absorbed by being placed in Kibbutzim or hotels, the paper said.

Meanwhile, Hizbollah spokesman Nabil Qaouk told AFP the group’s fighters had been warned “to be completely ready to confront Israeli manoeuvres on Sunday.”

"In the event of any new attack on Lebanon, the Israelis will not find anywhere in Palestine to hide”, he said.