Kan 7.10.360 | The Shelter at Zikim Beach on Oct 7

The tranquility of the beach is violated when Red Color alarms are heard along with an unusual barrage of rockets and mortar bombs. There are 32 civilians on the beach at the time and they are looking for a safe space. 12 are hiding in the shelter on the beach, eight in the protected restrooms and the rest are seeking shelter in the sand dunes and behind the beach sheds. Several of them decide to run to the nearby Zikim base

The first rubber boat carrying terrorists belonging to Hamas's naval commandos enters Israeli territorial waters. In total, seven rubber boats carrying 38 terrorists enter the country's territorial waters. Navy forces identify them and manage to destroy two of them and damage three more. However, two boats manage to escape

Seven fighters from the Golani 51st Battalion arrive on the beach in an unarmored Savannah vehicle. A few moments later, a rubber boat lands on the beach with five terrorists on board. Another boat arrives on the beach - three of the terrorists on it are hit by fire from the navy boats, but three terrorists manage to get to shore. At first, the IDF force on the beach turns south and does not notice the terrorists. The terrorists shoot at civilians on the beach and kill two of them - John Aslanov and Robert Shaulov. The force, hearing the shooting, opens fire on the terrorists, but is unable to prevent them from reaching the restrooms and the shelter. At this point, most of the Golani force retreats slightly

Another rubber boat manages to land on the beach and seven terrorists disembark. Two of them are hit by fire from the navy boats and five others continue towards the beach. A minute later, another rubber boat arrives at the southern part of the beach with six terrorists on board. Four are killed by navy fire and two continue towards the IDF bases in the area

The terrorists move towards the buildings on the beach. Those staying in the shelter call their relatives and the security forces to ask for help. In a recorded conversation with the fire department, gunshots are heard in the background, but help does not arrive in time. On their way to the restrooms and the shelter, the terrorists murder another civilian - Abed al-Zidana. At 6:51, one of the Golani fighters, Sergeant Dvir Lisha, runs towards the restrooms, and killed by terrorists' fire

The terrorists reach the shelter, throw two grenades into it and open fire indiscriminately. Seven people are murdered in the shelter: Aryeh Uzan and his son Eli Uzan, Benny Ganish, Avi Hasdai, Yulia Chaban, Vladimir Zhukov and Daniil Kimenfeld. Five manage to get out alive. From the shelter, the terrorists continue towards the nearby restrooms and murder seven civilians who are hiding in them

After completing the massacre in the beach, four of the terrorists steal the Savannah vehicle, in which the Golani fighters reached the beach, and drive towards Kibbutz Zikim and the bases adjacent to it. Six more terrorists march towards the kibbutz on foot

Soldiers and civilians arrive at the beach to search for survivors and evacuate bodies. Erez Eshel, an educator a who arrived at the scene along with his student, Noam David, testifies that they saw a fisherman who shouted at them: “We are being slaughtered on the beach.” They reach the beach and assist the soldiers in rescuing 17 civilians, most of whom were dead. They scan the area for more wounded, but overlook the shelter

Defense forces block the entrance to the beach while family members arrive trying to understand what happened to their loved ones with whom contact has been lost. The bodies of the murdered remain in the shelter. At this point they are defined as missing.