JERUSALEM, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of Thousands of Israelis came to standstill at 11 a.m. local time (0900 GMT) on Wednesday and took shelter in fortified safe rooms when air sirens wail across the country as the culmination of a nationwide civil defense exercise.
The annual exercise, dubbed "Turning Point 4," is carried out in more than 30 localities throughout Israel, with Israel Defense Forces (IDF), police, emergency and rescue crews, local authorities, education system as well as the public involved, IDF said in a statement.
Starting on Sunday, the five-day massive drill aimed at preparing army, local authorities and civilians for possible missile and rocket attacks on Israel, as well as natural disasters, according to the statement.
This year's exercise simulates emergency scenarios, including missile and rocket attacks as well as strikes by unconventional weapons, to test the preparedness of the local authorities and the cooperation between different crews during such scenarios, the statement added.
Being closely watched around the Middle East, the drill has raised speculations that Israel is preparing for a war, further tightening the already strained relationships between the Jewish state and its northern neighbors.
"These maneuvers are not new ... they are the sixth of this kind by Israel in five months. Israel is beating the drums of war in the region," Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said on Sunday, according to the official Syrian news agency SANA.
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Saturday questioned the purpose of the drill, saying that "If Israel wants to talk about peace with the Palestinians, why is it carrying out military maneuvers?"
In a bid to allay the fears, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that the drill is "routine" and was planned months ago.
