"Iron Wall" in the Heart of the Sea: Sailing Opposite Gaza with the Unit Preventing the Next Raid
A slight miss could bring back the scenes of October 7. A tour by a Walla correspondent on a Shaldag patrol boat opposite the ruins of Gaza reveals the immense challenge facing the IDF in the twilight period: joining forces, zero tolerance for any deviation, and peak alertness to any movement at sea.
The commanders of the Gulf Knights division slowed the Shaldag Mark 5 patrol boat opposite the 'marina' on the shores of Gaza City, a place that was active around the clock until October 7, when hundreds of vessels caught the Navy by surprise. "There are no more vessels with engines. Look," explained the senior officer on board, pointing to the city's ruins. Most orders since leaving Israeli ports include instructions for thorough monitoring of the maritime space.
The October 7 massacre hangs in the air. That morning, at 06:29, a Red Alert siren sounded, and under the cover of rocket fire, elite Nukhba naval fighters from Hamas's military wing moved toward Israel on seven boats. Navy fighters managed to hit five boats and eliminate twenty terrorists, but two boats carrying 18 armed Nukhba fighters reached the shore, marking the beginning of a massive failure.
In-depth investigations and changes
Investigations pointed to significant gaps. Facing an enemy that uses divers, underwater vehicles, fast boats, and drones, mental fixation is a death sentence. Navy Commander David Salama initiated structural changes, which current commander Major General Eyal Harel accelerated, understanding that effective defense requires learning while moving.
The Navy, Shin Bet, and Aman have joined forces to systematically erode Hamas and Islamic Jihad's maritime capabilities. The appointment of Brigadier General A., a former Shayetet 13 commander, as head of the Operations Division in Aman has provided a significant boost to these efforts.
Ashdod base commander, Colonel A., reorganized the space, establishing defense belts from the sea, air, and land in coordination with ground forces. "Look left now," the officer said. "See the ATVs? This is a new unit established after October 7 to respond to shore infiltrations." Fighters call this array the "Iron Wall," based on a tight combination of advanced technology and a mass of forces in a monitored border space.
Reality test: The Zikim incident
This process illustrates Zvi Lanir's warning in "Fundamental Surprise" about the danger of the "illusion of correction" after October 7: investing resources in fixing subsystems rather than re-challenging the High Command's basic assumptions.
A reality test occurred last Friday when an indication of a "touch" on the electric fence at Kibbutz Zikim was received. An initial scout found no flaws, but a subsequent patrol identified a cut in the fence. A "Night Knight C" alert (terrorist infiltration) was declared. Within 40 minutes, 140 fighters, including police and Magav, were in the kibbutz. The investigation concluded it was a criminal incident involving thieves, but the response was based on exercises simulating terrorist infiltration. A senior source noted that the connection between the IDF and the police must become even tighter to close the space effectively.
The threat of a maritime raid remains. Although the Navy acts with a heavy hand, ground commanders maintain peak alertness, assuming the enemy still possesses hidden capabilities, and are preparing for the most complex scenarios in adverse weather conditions.
