Andrew Margolin

The Latest: More than three weeks into Israel’s War with Hamas, 13 Israeli soldiers were confirmed killed in heavy fighting in Gaza. Long-range rockets fired at Israel by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen were intercepted over the Red Sea. Full details on these developments and more are below. Israel Defense Forces Operations The ground operation into Gaza appears to have expanded considerably, with heavy clashes against Hamas reported. Thirteen Israeli soldiers have been confirmed dead. Commenting on the heavy losses, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “We are in a difficult war. It will be a long war. We have important achievements in it, but also painful losses. We know that each of our soldiers is a whole world. The entire nation of Israel embraces you, the families, from the bottom of our hearts. We are all with you in your time of great sorrow. Our soldiers fell in an unjust war—the war for our home. I promise you, citizens of Israel: We will complete the job. We will continue until victory.”