Israel at war: What happened on day 26?

Israel's Shin Bet released footage on Wednesday of a Hamas terrorist describing his actions in the south of Israel during the October 7 massacre.

"The mission was simply to kill," said Hamas operative Omar Abu Rusha. "We weren't supposed to kidnap. Just kill."

Israeli missile boats were deployed in the Red Sea on Wednesday as reinforcements, the IDF said in a statement, following long-range missile and drone attacks claimed by Yemen's Houthis.

Images disseminated by the military appeared to show Saar-class corvettes patrolling near Eilat port in the Red Sea, which Israel sees as a new front as its war in Gaza draws retaliation from Iran-aligned pro-Hamas forces elsewhere in the region.

An aerial threat was intercepted over the Red Sea near Eilat on Tuesday night, according to the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit. No alert was activated in the city.

תושבים באילת דיווחו על פיצוץ ושובל יירוט בשמי העיר@Itsik_zuarets @hadasgrinberg pic.twitter.com/Kdmta6KaOU

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) October 31, 2023

No threat was posed to civilians and the threat did not enter Israeli territory, according to the IDF.

Shortly after the interception was reported, Hezam Alasad, a member of the political bureau of the Iran-backed Houthi militia, posted the word “Eilat” in Arabic and Hebrew on X (formerly Twitter).

Yachts are seen docking at the Eilat Port (credit: WALLPAPER FLARE)

Houthis threaten further missile fire

The incident comes less than 24 hours after drones and missiles fired by the Iran-backed Houthi militia towards Eilat were intercepted by the IDF.

On Tuesday afternoon, the spokesman for the Houthi’s military branch, Yahya Saree, confirmed that the Houthis had fired “a large batch of ballistic and winged missiles and a large number of drones at various targets of the Israeli enemy” on Tuesday morning.

Saree added that the drone and missile fire on Tuesday morning was the third such attack conducted by the Houthis and warned that the Iran-backed militia would “continue to carry out more qualitative strikes with missiles and drones until the Israeli aggression stops.”

When asked if the IDF intended to respond to the attacks by the Houthis earlier on Tuesday, IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari stated “the wise thing isn’t speaking to media, the wise thing is speaking with actions and protecting the security interests of Israel and to do so in the necessary time and place.”

“There are many elements in the region working on behalf of Iran, such as the Houthis, who are trying to challenge us and divert us from the war in Gaza. We stay focused. We are focused on the war in Gaza,” said Hagari.

Israel accused Bolivia on Wednesday of "capitulation to terrorism and to the ayatollah regime in Iran" after the South American nation cut ties in protest at civilian casualties from Israel's war with Tehran-backed Palestinian terrorists in Gaza.

A statement by the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem also sought to play down Tuesday's decision by Bolivia, saying "relations between the countries had been devoid of content anyway" since a government handover there.

Qatar has mediated an agreement between Egypt, Israel, and Hamas, in coordination with the US, to allow for the movement of foreign passport holders and some critically injured people out of besieged Gaza, a source briefed on the deal told Reuters on Wednesday.

There is no timeline for how long the vital Rafah border crossing will remain open for evacuation, the source added.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant expressed his sorrow for the fallen Israeli soldiers named on Wednesday morning, noting that the country's thoughts and prayers are with the families of the soldiers, in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday.

"The fall of IDF soldiers in battles against Hamas terrorists in Gaza is a hard and painful blow. Our hearts and thoughts are with their dear families," Gallant wrote. "The significant achievements of the intense fighting deep within the Strip come at a heavy cost, much to our sorrow. We are prepared and ready for a long and complex struggle that requires courage, determination, and perseverance - we will win."

נפילתם של לוחמי צה״ל בקרבות למול מחבלי חמאס בעזה היא מכה קשה וכואבת. ליבנו ומחשבותינו עם משפחותיהם היקרות.⁰
הישגיה המשמעותיים של הלחימה העוצמתית בעומק הרצועה גובים לצערנו מחיר כבד.⁰אנו ערוכים ונכונים למערכה ארוכה ומורכבת הדורשת העזה, נחישות והתמדה - אנחנו ננצח 🇮🇱

— יואב גלנט - Yoav Gallant (@yoavgallant) November 1, 2023

Since the IDF began operations in Gaza following Hamas's October 7 attacks, the Israeli security forces have attacked over 11,000 Hamas targets, the IDF announced on Wednesday.

Throughout Tuesday night the Israeli Air Force kept up its targeted airstrikes against Hamas military installations and IDF troops engaged in combat with several squads of Hamas terrorists.

On Tuesday, the IDF identified Hamas terrorists who were barricaded in a multi-story building in the Jabaliya area in northern Gaza, and directed air force jets to attack. 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated the US's support for Israel's right to defend itself against terrorism in a phone call with Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Tuesday, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stated.

Blinken emphasized that Israel's actions must be consistent with international humanitarian law and include all possible precautions to avoid harming civilians.

Additionally, Blinken and Herzog discussed the efforts to protect American citizens in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, the efforts to secure the release of the hostages held by Hamas, and the speed and amount of humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip.

Additionally, the pair spoke about preventing the conflict from spreading.

The IDF announced the names of nine IDF soldiers who were killed in clashes in the northern Gaza Strip amid the IDF’s ongoing ground operation on Wednesday morning.

The soldiers named were Lt. Ariel Reich, 21, from Jerusalem; Cpl. Asif Luger, 21, from Yagur; Sgt. Adi Danan, 20, from Yavne; Staff-Sgt. Halel Solomon, 20, from Dimona; Staff-Sgt. Erez Mishlovsky, 20, from Oranit; Staff-Sgt. Adi Leon, 20, from Nili; Cpl. Ido Ovadia, 19, from Tel Aviv; Cpl. Lior Siminovich, 19, from Herzliya; and Staff-Sgt. Roei Dawi, 20, from Jerusalem.

Additionally yesterday, two soldiers from the 77th Battalion, one soldier from the Tsabar Battalion, and another soldier from the Rotem Battalion were seriously wounded.

IDF soldiers were killed, wounded in anti-tank missile attack

On Tuesday morning, an anti-tank missile was launched at an IDF armored vehicle carrying soldiers from the Givati Brigade in the northern Gaza Strip. An additional four injuries were reported in the attack.

On Tuesday evening, it was announced that Staff-Sgt. Roei Wolf and Staff-Sgt. Lavi Lipshitz were killed amid clashes in the northern Gaza Strip as well.

In total, over 320 IDF soldiers have been killed since Hamas launched its assault on Israel on October 7.