On October 7, the battle at sea ended in less than an hour thanks to a swift response from IDF Navy forces, even though no reinforcements were sent to the coastline overnight, even after warning signs emerged.
The Navy had even been instructed not to raise its alert level, yet still managed to eliminate about half of the Hamas terrorists who attempted to infiltrate by sea. However, those who did make it ashore murdered 17 people at Zikim beach, near the Gaza border.
As part of the IDF’s core investigations into the failures of October 7, released Thursday for the first time since the attack, the military reviewed the Navy’s response. The investigation found that the rapid reaction of the Ashdod-based 916th Flotilla, which was on routine patrol off the Gaza coast that morning, was key in quickly ending the battle.
The IDF’s Southern Command and the Gaza Division had not issued warnings about unusual activity the night before the massacre and the Navy also did not reinforce its presence despite signs of an impending attack.
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