Palestinian resistance groups stage large-scale Mighty Pillar 4 drills

Palestinian resistance factions have launched large-scale military exercises across the besieged Gaza Strip amid threats by the far-right Israeli administration of Benjamin Netanyahu to assassinate high-profile leaders of the groups.

The drills, codenamed al-Rukn al-Shadid 4 (Mighty Pillar 4), kicked off at 7.00 a.m. local time (0400 GMT) on Tuesday in various neighborhoods of the coastal enclave and involved various units. They were scheduled to wrap up at 11 a.m.

Palestinian fighters annihilated designated targets in the sea by firing homegrown missiles and rockets during the exercise, which marks the 18th anniversary of the Israeli military withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

Gaza’s Interior Ministry announced in a statement that field operations would also be carried out as part of the drills, and security forces would be deployed in conjunction as well.

The ministry noted that the exercises would also include assaults on the hypothetical enemy’s positions in addition to extensive movements of resistance units, armored vehicles, ambulances and paramedic teams.