Israel uses "Arrow" air defense shield for first time in Hamas war

Arrow 3 air defense system jointly developed by Israel and the US. (Illustration photo: Israel Aerospace Industries).

Residents in the popular tourist resort of Eilat were forced to seek shelter after initial warnings of a possible “hostile target infiltration from the air”.

The Israeli military later said its "systems identified an aerial target approaching Israeli territory".

“There was no threat or risk to civilians,” the statement added, saying the defensive operation was successful.

In addition, the Israeli military said it used the "Arrow" air defense system for the first time since the outbreak of the war with Hamas on October 7 to intercept a surface-to-surface missile in the Red Sea fired toward its territory.

The two incidents were separate, a spokesman told Reuters .

Location of the Israeli city of Eilat on the Red Sea coast (Graphic: Al Jazeera).

On the same day, October 31, the Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen announced that they had launched "large numbers" of ballistic missiles and drones towards Israel.

In a televised statement, Yahya Saree, the group's military spokesman, said this was the third Houthi attack on Israel and there would be more in the future.

Last week, Israel accused the Houthis of launching drones that caused explosions in two Egyptian towns on the Red Sea with the ultimate goal of attacking Israel.

The Pentagon said a US warship on October 19 intercepted three cruise missiles and several drones launched by Houthi forces from Yemen that were likely headed towards Israel.

Yemen's Houthi leader, Abdel-Malek al-Houthi, said on October 10 that if the United States intervenes directly in the conflict in Gaza, the group will respond by firing drones and missiles, and has other military options.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/israel-lan-dau-dung-la-chan-phong-khong-mui-ten-trong-chien-su-hamas-20231031202954109.htm