The IDF is investigating failures during the October 7 Hamas attacks, with Israeli Navy officers alleging that critical intelligence about a planned naval commando raid on Zikim Beach was withheld, leaving them unprepared despite longstanding surveillance, according to sources close to the inquiry.
Israeli Navy officers have criticized the omission of the naval appendix from the "Walls of Jericho" dossier, which detailed Hamas’s military wing's plan for a large-scale, multi-site assault on Israeli civilian areas.
According to the officers, the senior naval command was not briefed on this intelligence. “It remains unclear to this day what happened to the intelligence regarding the planned raid by the naval Nukhba unit, Hamas’s elite commando force,” one source said.
The Navy's Intelligence Division (MADAN) and Military Intelligence were also criticized for failing to issue a warning about the Nukhba unit’s movements at sea and its readiness for a major coastal raid.
Sources close to the investigation emphasized: “The Nukhba naval unit should have been a central priority in Military Intelligence's and the Navy’s collection directives, yet as we saw on October 7, there was a complete blackout.”
The investigation revealed that the Nukhba unit’s activities had long been tracked under a specific code name. “The fact that no alert was issued regarding their unusual movements at sea points to Military Intelligence’s overall approach toward the Navy and its intelligence priorities,” a source said. “This is reminiscent of the 2006 Second Lebanon War when the Navy was caught off guard by Hezbollah’s C-802 missile, which struck the INS Hanit.”
The findings also suggest that even without direct intelligence, the Navy should have been prepared for the possibility of a surprise naval raid by Hamas. Officers close to the investigation disclosed that Ashdod base commander Col. Eitan Paz was alerted at around 4:00 a.m. by Brig.-Gen. Avi Rosenfeld, commander of the Gaza Division—not by Military Intelligence or the Operations Directorate.
Rosenfeld’s call warned of unusual activity in Gaza but provided no concrete details. Paz subsequently contacted Navy Headquarters in Tel Aviv, but checks revealed no unusual developments. By this time, Hamas’s naval commandos were already positioned for the raid on Zikim Beach and other coastal locations.
At the time of the attack, seven boats—possibly more—were prepared for the operation, each carrying dozens of terrorists. Fearing that a significant incident was unfolding, Paz raised the base’s alert level and called in commanders from their homes despite directives to avoid alerting Hamas to Israeli awareness.
This preemptive measure led to the interception of five of the seven boats attempting to reach Israeli shores. However, the scale of the attack was devastating.
How the raid unfolded
Footage uncovered during the inquiry shows the actions of ground forces who arrived at Zikim Beach in a “Savannah” vehicle. During the confrontation, the vehicle was abandoned, allowing terrorists to seize it and drive toward Zikim.
They encountered security personnel and members of the rapid response team, who opened fire but were forced to retreat. In the midst of the skirmish, one soldier called the Ashdod base operations room, reporting the raid and requesting immediate evacuation for seven soldiers stranded in the area.
Throughout the investigation, Navy officials emphasized that they responded with all available resources during a surprise attack for which they had no prior warning. They highlighted that five boats were intercepted and called for the permanent deployment of Shayetet 13 or another elite combat unit to secure the coastal area near the Gaza border.
“The matter is being examined as part of the investigations into October 7,” the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said. “The IDF is in the midst of the investigation process, and the findings will be made public once concluded.” A senior military official added: “The Navy had thoroughly studied the Nukhba naval unit. On that morning, no warning was issued regarding the raid.”