The defense and health ministries will stage an exercise dubbed ‘Orange Flame 6” in the north next week and simulate an “unconventional terrorist” attack.

The two-day drill next Wednesday and Thursday will simulate a biological outbreak of a contagious disease, attacking and infecting the cities of the north, primarily Afula, Tiberias, and the Nazareth area in the Galilee.

The Defense Ministry intends to hold additional drills in the field of unconventional terrorism in the coming year.

The exercise will test and drill operations of the Defense, Foreign, Environment and Health ministries and the Home Front Command, local governments, police and rescue services,  hospitals and the Water Authority.

Local authorities will set up Mass-Prophylaxis Treatment Centers, which will simulate the provision of preventive treatment to citizens who are suspected of exposure to the outbreak.  Each center will be drilled on their capacity to treat approximately 5,000 patients per day.   

“It is important that that the citizens of Israel know that there are people in the Defense Establishment, as well as the other relevant authorities, whose permanent job is to prepare the State of Israel to handle these types of threats,” said Brigadier General (res.), Ze’ev Snir, who is Assistant Minister of Defense for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense.