Israel puts military on alert for October 7 anniversary, warns Gazans
Israel has placed its military on high alert ahead of the October 7 anniversary of the Hamas attack, warning of severe consequences for any further aggression. The region remains in a state of heightened tension as the conflict continues to cause significant casualties.
Why it matters
The anniversary of the October 7 attack is a major flashpoint for potential escalation in the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.
Israel's Defence Minister on Tuesday (October 6, 2026) said he had put the military on high alert before the anniversary of Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack , warning Gazans would pay a "heavy price" if forces were harmed.
The office of Defence Minister Israel Katz said the instruction came "in light of intelligence regarding Hamas's intentions to attempt to carry out attacks and terror operations against our forces in Gaza on that day".
"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 statement added.
Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack was the deadliest day in Israel’s history, resulting in the deaths of 1,221 people, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
Militants also dragged 251 hostages into Gaza, 44 of them already dead.
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