Battle of Zikim

The Battle of Zikim (Hebrew: קרב זיקים; Arabic: معركة زيكيم) started on 7 October 2023, when Hamas launched a large-scale attack against Southern Israel. The battle was fought over the Israeli area of Zikim, which includes a kibbutz and the Bahad 4 military base.

Battle of Zikim
Part of 2023 Israel–Hamas war

Situation on 11 October
DateInitial battle: 7 October 2023 (1 day) Clashes: 8 October 2023 – present
Location
Zikim, Southern District, Israel
Status

Ongoing

  • sporadic clashes
Belligerents
Hamas  Israel
Units involved

Al-Qassam Brigades

 Israeli Navy

 Israeli Ground Forces

Bahad 4 instructors and recruits

Armed civilians
Casualties and losses
At least 17 killed (IDF claim) Unknown

Initial assault

On the morning of 7 October at 04:40 GMT,[5] Hamas sent multiple boats from Gaza to get to the beaches of Zikim. Two rubber boats and two other boats were destroyed by the 916th Patrol Squadron from Ashdod naval base on their way there,[6] but the rest landed on Zikim beach. There had also been a breach at the Gaza barrier about 1.5km south of Bahad 4 around the same time that Hamas soldiers passed through.

Hamas soldiers stormed Bahad 4, an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) base for basic training of military recruits. The majority of the soldiers at the training base had only been in the IDF for four weeks. Veteran soldiers at the base battled the militants while less experienced recruits took cover as intense fighting went on for hours.[7] At 07:00, the IDF had posted a statement that Bahad 4 had been penetrated and lost.[5] Hamas militants moved towards the kibbutz but were defeated by armed civilians, some being off-duty officers.[8] Clashes inside the kibbutz continued past 7 October.

Fighting at Zikim Beach on 7 October is notable for involving the first-ever use of the Eitan AFV in combat. The vehicle was originally scheduled to have been put into operation in 2024. The Nahal Brigade team operating the Eitan reached speeds of 120 km/h on Highway 6, which allowed it to be the first Israeli unit to arrive to the scene of the battle, killing several militants on the beach before moving forward to support other units. The successful use of the vehicle at Zikim Beach prompted Tamir Yada'i, head of IDF Ground Forces Command, to integrate the Eitan into plans for the invasion of the Gaza Strip.[3]

Subsequent engagements

On the morning of 8 October, the 916th Patrol Squadron killed five Hamas militants on the Zikim beach.[9]

On 10 October, Hamas launched a rocket attack on the city of Ashkelon after giving civilians a 90 minute warning and clashed with Israeli forces in the Ashkelon Industrial Park/Trans-Israel pipeline junction.[10][11] The same day the IDF's official Hebrew-language Twitter account claimed that troops from the 17th Battalion had clashed with Hamas militants in the Zikim beach area, killing four. According to an investigation by France 24, the video appeared to show Israeli soldiers killing four Palestinian men who were attempting to surrender (a war crime). France 24 also states that there were no clearly visible weapons in the drone shot of the initial encounter, "though the images are blurry and it is impossible to see whether weapons were on the scene."[4] The incident was geolocated by Al Jazeera English to an area about a kilometer southwest of Bahad 4.[12]

From 10 to 11 October, Hamas claimed that they had sent additional fighters to the Zikim-Ashkelon axis.[11]

On 11 October, the IDF claimed to have killed eight Hamas militants in Zikim.[13]

On 13 October, a suspected security incident forced residents of Zikim inside their homes.[14] Israel National News later reported that a militant had been killed on the beach by the IDF.[15]

On October 16, reports cited by the Institute for the Study of War suggested that two militants from the Gaza Strip infiltrated the coastline west of Zikim, subsequently being killed by an IDF helicopter.[16]

See also

References
  1. "This is How Al-Qassam's Navel Units Stormed Zakim's Fortified Military Base – VIDEO". The Palestine Chronicle. October 9, 2023. Archived from the original on October 9, 2023.
  2. "New footage shows harbor security unit foiling Hamas naval infiltration on October 7". The Times of Israel. 14 October 2023. Archived from the original on 14 October 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  3. "טבילת האש הראשונה: נגמ"ש "האיתן" חיסל מחבלים בחוף זיקים" (in Hebrew). Walla! News. October 18, 2023. Archived from the original on October 19, 2023. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  4. "Israeli army tweets video that appears to show soldiers shooting Palestinians who surrendered". The Observers - France 24. 2023-10-13. Archived from the original on 2023-10-16. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
  5. "What happened in Israel? A breakdown of how Hamas attack unfolded". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 10 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  6. Gianluca Mezzofiore; Paul P. Murphy; Allegra Goodwin (9 October 2023). "Videos show new details on how Hamas launched surprise assault on Israel". CNN. Archived from the original on 10 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  7. David S. Cloud; Anat Peled; Chao Deng; Dov Lieber (8 October 2023). "Israel's First 24 Hours Under Attack: 'We Are Going to Die'". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  8. "Eyewitness account: 'Kobi and the squad saved the kibbutz'". Arutz Sheva. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  9. Fabian, Emanuel. "Navy says it killed 5 terrorists hiding on Zikim beach". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  10. @manniefabian (October 10, 2023). "Hof Ashkelon Regional Council says security forces battling Palestinian terrorists near Zikim" (Tweet). Retrieved 11 October 2023 – via Twitter.
  11. "Resistance reinforces forces in Israel's southern settlements". The Cradle. Archived from the original on 2023-08-25. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
  12. "Al Jazeera English on X". Al Jazeera English. 13 October 2023. Archived from the original on 22 October 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  13. @AlArabiya_Brk (11 October 2023). "مراسل العربية: الجيش الإسرائيلي يقول إنه قتل 8 من مسلحي حماس في زيكيم" [Al Arabiya correspondent: The Israeli army says it killed 8 Hamas militants in Zikim]. (tweet) (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 2023-10-17. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  14. "Residents of Zikim near Gaza given 'all clear' after suspected security incident". www.timesofisrael.com. Archived from the original on 2023-10-17. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
  15. "IDF soldiers eliminated a terrorist on Zikim beach". Israel National News. October 13, 2023. Archived from the original on October 19, 2023. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  16. "Iran Update, October 17, 2023". Institute for the Study of War. October 17, 2023. Archived from the original on October 19, 2023. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
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