Israel holds emergency drill amid attack worries

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Emergency sirens sounded across Israel on Tuesday as the country began a five-day drill to prepare for possible attacks.

Crews rehearsed how they would rescue people if rockets hit government buildings. Schoolchildren received an hour's instruction on what to do in the event of an emergency.

The drill unfolded against the backdrop of increasing tensions in Israel, with many Israelis worried about rocket attacks from Gaza or possible attacks from Lebanon, Syria or Iran.

The government scheduled the drill after criticism that it was unprepared during a 2006 war against Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, who fired thousands of rockets into Israel as Israel bombed their positions. Watch kids duck and cover as siren sounds »

On Monday, an Israeli official said the entire country is at risk of Hezbollah rocket attacks and blamed Iran for "provoking us" by backing Hezbollah, which is listed by Israel, the United States and several Western nations as a terrorist organization.

Israeli Infrastructure Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer warned against an attack by Iran, which he called unlikely.

"An Iranian attack will lead to a harsh retaliation by Israel, which will lead to the destruction of the Iranian nation," Ben-Eliezer said, adding that Iran "will not attack Israel so quickly because they understand the ramifications."

"They are certainly aware of our strength," he said. "Nonetheless, the Iranians are provoking us through their allies Syria and Hezbollah, [providing] them with much weaponry, and with that we have to contend."

Ben-Eliezer stressed that the nationwide emergency drill "is not aimed at threatening any of the countries surrounding us." But he offered a bleak scenario for Israel in the face of a future war.

"I predict that in the opening strike, hundreds of rockets will land in Israel," Ben-Eliezer said. "There will not be a place in the country out of the range of the missiles and rockets of Syria and Hezbollah."

As part of the drill, the country is to begin practicing its response to a variety of attacks, including rocket strikes and incidents involving chemical and biological agents.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert stressed Sunday that the exercise "is only a drill" and has nothing to do with "exaggerated" reports of heightened tensions with Syria.

"I would like to make it unequivocally clear that this is a routine drill," Olmert said.

"The state of Israel is not intent on any violent confrontation in the north. On the contrary, we have said more than once that we have an interest in holding peace negotiations with Syria," he said.

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said the exercise is a direct result of Israel's 2006 war with Hezbollah militants based in Lebanon, which failed to weaken Hezbollah either militarily or politically.

"The Second Lebanon War created a situation by which the home front is part of the front," Barak said Monday. "Israel has no interest in escalating the situation in the region." E-mail to a friend

CNN's Ben Wedeman contributed to this report.

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