The IDF base of Zikim. Photo: Wikipedia

i24 News – The Israeli army revealed on Sunday the findings of its investigation into the fighting that took place at the Zikim Home Front Command training base during the terrorist onslaught on October 7, 2023.

Seven people lost their lives in this battle, including five military officers who protected about 100 young recruits. According to the investigation, it all started at 7:24 am when the first terrorists were spotted approaching the base. Five minutes later, the first casualties were reported near a guard post overlooking the sea. A decisive decision was then made by the company commander: swap the young recruits at the guard posts with more experienced officers.

“If we had had more firepower, like grenades and machine guns, we would have been in a better position against the terrorists,” the report noted, criticizing the low level of armament at the base despite its proximity to the Gaza Strip, just a few miles away. The investigation reveals several heroic acts by the soldiers. “One soldier continued to fight for an hour under enemy fire despite a bullet in the leg,” the investigation revealed. “Female officers collected and protected civilians from the nearby beach. A soldier fought barehanded against terrorists after exhausting his ammunition.”

A critical moment occurred when a young soldier spotted a terrorist approaching a shelter where 100 recruits were huddled. “He neutralized him with five bullets. We can only imagine the tragedy that could have occurred if the terrorists had discovered these 100 young soldiers,” the report said.

The clashes decreased in intensity around 9:30 am, but the first military reinforcements did not arrive until 1:30 pm, well after the elimination of the last terrorists. The investigation highlights that the base faced two waves of attacks from Hamas, in an area that suffered “27 infiltration routes, 24 combat hotspots, about 2,500 terrorists, 17 enemy drones, and some 1,700 rockets and mortar shells.” Since the October 7 attack, the Home Front Command’s training base has been moved to a safer area in the south of the country.