There have been reports that Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi group said they launched a "large number" of drones and ballistic missiles towards Israel on Tuesday (October 31).
According to the Israel Defense Force (IDF), they have shot down an approaching "aerial target" of the Red Sea city of Eilat.
The operation was the third for the Houthi targeting Israel, Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a televised statement, adding that there would be more in the future until "Israeli aggression" in Gaza stopped.
Houthi leader Abdel-Malek al-Houthi also said earlier this month that if the US would directly intervene in the war in Gaza, the group would respond by firing drones and missiles and take other military options.
Eilat on Edge
Reuters reported that residents and visitors of Eilat ran for shelter after an initial warning of a possible "hostile aircraft intrusion."
Israeli military systems eventually "identified an aerial target" approaching its territory before neutralizing it.
There were no reports of any missiles or drones hitting Israeli territory from the Red Sea, the IDF added.
In a separate statement, the IDF said it used the Arrow aerial defense system for the first time since the beginning of its war against Hamas to intercept a surface-to-surface missile in the Red Sea fired towards its territory.
Last week, Israel accused the Houthi movement of sending drones that caused explosions in two Egyptian towns on the Red Sea, saying they were intended to strike Israel.
The Pentagon earlier said US warships have also intercepted three cruise missiles and several drones launched by the Houthi toward the general direction of Israel.
