Israel’s Naval Activity During the Current War with Hamas
Navy ships operating in the border area between Gaza and Israel managed to destroy several vessels during the first days of the war
Cmdr. (res.) Eyal Pinko
| 24/10/2023
At the beginning of the war, on Saturday morning, October 7, Hamas naval units attempted to infiltrate Israel by sea.
The fighters of the Navy's routine security vessels, the Dvora (bee) and Dabur (wasp) class fast patrol boats, together with the coastal detection system, managed to discover the infiltration attempts, which were carried out using fast attack boats, divers, and swimmers.
The Dvora and Dabur arrays
The coastal detection system and the vessels noticed four boats (a lone fishing boat followed by an additional three) departing from the fishing area of Gaza towards Israel – an unusual event.
Navy vessels operating between Gaza and Israel managed to destroy two boats, but the two remaining, with part of their crew killed by Israeli fire, managed to penetrate the defense line and reach the shore near the Zikims. Another shot fired at the two boats resulted in their elimination.
During this event, an estimated eighty+ terrorists were eliminated, and mortar and machine gun fire was fired at the Israeli vessels. At the same time, the Israeli Dvora and Dabur formations, using machine guns and depth charges, managed to eliminate the Hamas swimmers and divers.
The Dvora and Dabur vessels, equipped with precise weapon systems, not only hit and disrupted the Hamas naval attack but also hit vehicles and people attempting to cross the border near the coast with artillery.
At the same time as the routine security vessels carried out this operation, the elite Shayetet 13 naval commando unit was deployed to the Gaza envelope area. Its fighters participated in the battles to liberate the regional communities and outposts overtaken by Hamas terrorists, fighting in Be’eri, Kfar Gaza, Mefalsim, Nir Am, and at the Sufa outpost – where they waged a tough battle against terrorists. In total, the fighters of Shayetet 13 eliminated approximately 60 terrorists and rescued about 250 hostages.
The Shayetet combatants also operated directly from the sea with an array of speedboats, attacking targets along the coast, emphasizing targets of the Hamas naval force.
The Hamas naval force
Hamas’ naval force is considered one of its elite units, in which large budgets were invested for a significant building of force. The Revolutionary Guards Navy trained the naval force in Iran and equipped it with the best diving and combat equipment.
The goal of this force is to infiltrate the Israeli border using divers and high-speed vessels to carry out high-quality commando raids deep in Israeli territory. They also aspire to damage strategic facilities of the State of Israel at sea (the gas rigs) and along the coast, including in the ports of Ashdod and Ashkelon.
While fighting Hamas, Shayetet 3 (the battleship fleet) was also activated, and its missile boats began firing accurate cannons and missiles at coastal targets.
The Shayetet 3 boats participate in the IDF's artillery efforts, providing precise fire from the sea at quality targets. They succeeded in destroying many targets, including observation posts, rocket launchers, combat positions, and various other sites.
Israel also operates its Navy in the northern arena to secure the maritime sector against Hezbollah's naval power.
The Israeli Navy has been engaged in combat on various fronts, while remaining true to its modest character, operating without much fanfare.
Navy ships operating in the border area between Gaza and Israel managed to destroy several vessels during the first days of the war
At the beginning of the war, on Saturday morning, October 7, Hamas naval units attempted to infiltrate Israel by sea.
The fighters of the Navy's routine security vessels, the Dvora (bee) and Dabur (wasp) class fast patrol boats, together with the coastal detection system, managed to discover the infiltration attempts, which were carried out using fast attack boats, divers, and swimmers.
The Dvora and Dabur arrays
The coastal detection system and the vessels noticed four boats (a lone fishing boat followed by an additional three) departing from the fishing area of Gaza towards Israel – an unusual event.
Navy vessels operating between Gaza and Israel managed to destroy two boats, but the two remaining, with part of their crew killed by Israeli fire, managed to penetrate the defense line and reach the shore near the Zikims. Another shot fired at the two boats resulted in their elimination.
During this event, an estimated eighty+ terrorists were eliminated, and mortar and machine gun fire was fired at the Israeli vessels. At the same time, the Israeli Dvora and Dabur formations, using machine guns and depth charges, managed to eliminate the Hamas swimmers and divers.
The Dvora and Dabur vessels, equipped with precise weapon systems, not only hit and disrupted the Hamas naval attack but also hit vehicles and people attempting to cross the border near the coast with artillery.
At the same time as the routine security vessels carried out this operation, the elite Shayetet 13 naval commando unit was deployed to the Gaza envelope area. Its fighters participated in the battles to liberate the regional communities and outposts overtaken by Hamas terrorists, fighting in Be’eri, Kfar Gaza, Mefalsim, Nir Am, and at the Sufa outpost – where they waged a tough battle against terrorists. In total, the fighters of Shayetet 13 eliminated approximately 60 terrorists and rescued about 250 hostages.
The Shayetet combatants also operated directly from the sea with an array of speedboats, attacking targets along the coast, emphasizing targets of the Hamas naval force.
The Hamas naval force
Hamas’ naval force is considered one of its elite units, in which large budgets were invested for a significant building of force. The Revolutionary Guards Navy trained the naval force in Iran and equipped it with the best diving and combat equipment.
The goal of this force is to infiltrate the Israeli border using divers and high-speed vessels to carry out high-quality commando raids deep in Israeli territory. They also aspire to damage strategic facilities of the State of Israel at sea (the gas rigs) and along the coast, including in the ports of Ashdod and Ashkelon.
While fighting Hamas, Shayetet 3 (the battleship fleet) was also activated, and its missile boats began firing accurate cannons and missiles at coastal targets.
The Shayetet 3 boats participate in the IDF's artillery efforts, providing precise fire from the sea at quality targets. They succeeded in destroying many targets, including observation posts, rocket launchers, combat positions, and various other sites.
Israel also operates its Navy in the northern arena to secure the maritime sector against Hezbollah's naval power.
The Israeli Navy has been engaged in combat on various fronts, while remaining true to its modest character, operating without much fanfare.
