"It looks like the Arab Spring, but it can also be a radical Islamic winter," IDF Home Front Command chief Major General Eyal Eisenberg said during a speech at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv on Monday.
"This leads us to the conclusion that through a long-term process, the likelihood of an all-out war is increasingly growing," Eisenberg said.
"Iran has not abandoned its nuclear program. The opposite it true; it continues full steam ahead," he said.
"In Egypt, the army is collapsing under the burden of regular security operations, and this is reflected in the loss of control in the Sinai and the turning of the border with Israel into a terror border, with the possibility that Sinai will fall under the control of an Islamic entity."
"In Lebanon, Hezbollah is growing stronger within government arms, but it has not lost its desire to harm Israel, and the ties with Turkey aren't at their best," He added.
Referring to what he characterized as the possibility of a "radical Islamic winter," Eisenberg warned "This raises the likelihood of an all-out, total war, with the possibility of weapons of mass destruction being used."
During his address, Eisenberg admitted new, more lethal arms surfaced in the hands of Gaza terror groups during the latest round of fighting in the area. As result of the disturbing development, Israeli civilians were instructed to adopt greater precautions, he said.
"We discovered a new weapon, and as result of this we instructed the public to hide under two roofs, rather than only one," he said.
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Last month the IDF Home Front Command held an emergency drill in the western Negev as well.
The Southern District forces of the Home Front Command, Israel Firefighters, Israel Police, Israel National Emergency service and Magen David Adom are all participating in the drill.
Officials said the exercises will include scenarios involving locations around the city of Dimona, the sports center at Ben Gurion University of the Negev and the Ara'ara Regional Council.
The IDF Spokesperson emphasized that the drill was routine and had been planned in advance as part of the year's annual local military exercises.
The Nachal Scout Brigade held a drill last month, including simulations of uncertain conditions that required the soldiers to make spontaneous decisions based on rapidly changing circumstances.
Israel Police recently conducted a fire drill in the Yattir Forest on the mountains of the Southern Hevron Hills region. The exercise included scenarios that involved fires and evacuations of towns.
