Documentation revealing the seemingly effortless infiltration onto Zikim Beach
Two months after Hamas's surprise attack in the south, new documentation is released, revealing the seemingly effortless infiltration of terrorists from the armed organization with openly carried weapons onto Zikim Beach on October 7. The assailants, arriving from Gaza by sea on murder boats, claimed the lives of dozens of civilians and soldiers.
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Zikim Beach, near the kibbutz of the same name in the Gaza Envelope, tragically turned into a scene of massacre and devastation after Hamas terrorists overran it, unleashing violence in all directions. A group of young people who were at the beach managed to escape after finding refuge from the attackers in a military base, but on the beach, around 10 civilians were murdered. Later, the bodies of 9 more victims were discovered in a nearby shelter.
The terrorists who overran Zikim Beach began shooting at anyone they encountered. Civilians who sought refuge in a bunker found themselves in a death trap after the attackers threw grenades and fired at them. Among the victims in the bunker was Aryeh Ozen, a resident of Moshav Gilat, who had come to the beach with his son Eli from Ashdod for a day out. Aryeh and Eli's family had to search for information on their own for days.
On that same Saturday, both the police and the emergency medical services were overwhelmed, and family members took on a central role in the field. "We embarked on an unprecedented and unimaginable journey to search for my father and brother because no authority could provide us with information, and we had no idea what was happening there," said Aryeh's sister. "The police and MDA couldn't reach the location. Initially, the police responded that it was under control, but afterward, nothing. At first, I was very optimistic, but on Saturday afternoon, we realized that the situation was not good and not rational. We initiated our own emergency hotline and began establishing contacts."