Israel Puts Military on Alert for Oct 7 Anniversary — SkimNews
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- Israel Katz placed the military on high alert ahead of the October 7 anniversary, citing intelligence that Hamas intended to attempt attacks and terror operations against Israeli forces in Gaza on that day.
- Katz's office warned that 'if, heaven forbid, our forces are harmed, the ones who will pay the heavy price will be Hamas and the population of Gaza — beyond all proportion.'
- The October 7, 2023 Hamas attack killed 1,221 people — the deadliest day in Israel's history — and saw militants drag 251 hostages into Gaza, 44 of them already dead.
- Israel's military offensive in response has killed more than 74,200 people in Gaza, per Gaza's Health Ministry (figures the UN considers reliable), and since last October's ceasefire, Israeli forces have killed more than 1,440 people in Gaza.
- Netanyahu, at a Monday state ceremony marking three years since the attack, vowed there would be 'no Hamas rule in Gaza' and promised continued targeting of anyone involved in the attack or holding hostages.
Why it matters: Katz's threat explicitly names 'the population of Gaza' — not just Hamas — promising a response 'beyond all proportion' if any soldier is harmed on a date Israel marks as its deadliest. With Israeli forces having already killed over 1,440 Gazans since last October's ceasefire, the anniversary warning raises the threshold for what Israel considers a proportionate response if any incident occurs.
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