Updated

The Israeli military will designate 2027 the 'Year of the Earthquake' to restore and strengthen disaster response after a quake felt in the Gulf of Eilat last week. The Jerusalem Post reported that the Home Front Command is rebuilding capabilities that received less attention during the war, when its personnel were deployed on several fronts. A major earthquake preparedness exercise planned for November 2023 was postponed when fighting broke out. The military is setting up a National Home Front Center, led by a brigadier-general, to oversee training and coordination, and is adding volunteer units, joint simulations with municipalities and ministries, and hackathons on extreme disaster scenarios. A senior Home Front Command officer, interviewed by Walla, warned that a major quake could kill hundreds to thousands and force tens to hundreds of thousands to evacuate. The officer said the military has a plan to airlift medical and rescue teams from central Israel to the geographically isolated city of Eilat.