2014 Zikim attack

For the attack in 2023, see Zikim attack.

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2014 Zikim attack
Part of 2014 Gaza war
Date 8 July 2014 Location Zikim, Israel Result Israeli victory Hamas raid on the Zikim base fails
Belligerents
Hamas Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades	Israel
Strength
5 frogmen	Unknown
Casualties and losses
5 killed (according to IDF)	None

On the evening of 8 July 2014, five Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades militants swam from the Gaza Strip to Zikim beach in southern Israel.

Operation

Five Hamas frogmen of the al-Qassam Brigades attempted to infiltrate Zikim via the northern beaches of Gaza. According to the IDF, all the infiltrators were killed.^[1]

The attackers were members of the Nukhba forces, Hamas's special forces unit.^[2]

Aftermath

According to journalist Avi Issacharoff, the Zikim attack was another example, albeit unsuccessful, of Hamas attempting to conduct higher "quality" attacks during Operation Protective Edge. The other example he cited was Hamas's new ability to fire rockets at the Israeli city of Hadera north of Tel Aviv. Hamas television stations and Arabic satellite stations celebrated the Zikim raid and rocket attacks.^[1]

According to the Israel Defense Forces, all five members of the attack squad were killed.^[1][3]

On December that year, the Israel Defense Forces initiated an urgent investigation following the leak of a film from an internal inquiry, which was subsequently circulated in Palestinian media networks.^[4] The footage revealed a significantly longer duration of the battle than what was previously presented to the public by the IDF.

The video contained omitted scenes, including those showing militants approaching a IDF Caterpillar D9 armoured bulldozer and placing an explosive on it, and hurling a grenade at a tank. The tank's armor resisted the blast and the crew remained unharmed.^[5] These sections were reportedly withheld by the IDF for security reasons.^[4] The IDF Spokesman’s Office addressed the leak as a "severe incident" that would be investigated internally, rather than through media channels.^[4]

Additionally, the footage showcased the audio communications between the Israeli Navy’s Erez Regional Control Center and military units during their operation to kill the Hamas commandos. The response involved tanks, cannon fire from a Dvora patrol boat of Squadron 916 and ultimately support from the Israeli Air Force.^[4] According to IDF assessments, the commando unit was dispatched by "a senior terrorist operative", Ahmed Elghandour, active in northern Gaza.^[4] Taysir Mubasher, the former commander of Hamas's naval forces, was also claimed by the IDF to have been involved in the attack.^[6]

Hamas launched a similar attack against Zikim in 2023, during the October 7 attack on Israel.

See also

• Bahad 4