Israel's Health Ministry conducted an earthquake preparedness exercise for its National Health Emergency Operations Center from Monday, June 29, 2026, to Tuesday, June 30, 2026. The drill was held in cooperation with the National Emergency Management Authority.

The exercise tested the ministry's preparedness and its ability to coordinate with emergency and rescue services. The scenario for the drill involved tens of thousands of casualties and included simulated damage to infrastructure, transportation networks, and energy lines.

Health Ministry Director General Moshe Bar Siman Tov stated that preparing for an earthquake represents one of the most complex challenges for the health system. "Preparing for an earthquake is one of the most complex challenges facing the health system," Bar Siman Tov said. "Our responsibility is to prepare in advance, drill the health system and the National Health Emergency Operations Center, and ensure that even under the most severe extreme scenarios, we can continue saving lives and providing continuous, high-quality medical care." He added, "The exercise held today is part of an ongoing process to strengthen national preparedness, and we will continue to deepen it together with all health and emergency system officials."

Health Ministry Deputy Director General Dr. Sefi Mendelovich said the ministry would learn valuable lessons from the drill. "The exercise we conducted today is the first stage in a series of drills intended to examine and improve the health system's preparedness for an earthquake," Mendelovich said. "After drawing lessons from the exercise, we will expand the drills to the entire health system, as part of our commitment to continuously improving preparedness and the ability to provide the best possible response in any scenario."

The last major earthquake Israel experienced occurred in 1927 during the British Mandate era, registering a magnitude of 6.3.