Ashdod Naval Base, also known as Southern Arena by the Israeli Navy, is a naval base located in the port city of Ashdod near the Port of Ashdod. It plays an important role in the surveillance and blockade of the Gaza Strip, as well as in protecting the Port of Ashdod.
The construction of the permanent camp in the south of the port began in 1965. A temporary base was established in the port within a day. Lt. Col. Yekutiel Netz was appointed as the commander of the base.[1][2]
Six Day War
Amphibious warfare ships in preparation for the landing operation at El Arish beach were stationed there. During the Six Day War and after it, ships from the 914th Torpedo Squadron were attached to floats and received fuel and supplies from the base.[1][2]
War of Attrition
During the War of Attrition, the Israeli warships engaged with an Egyptian destroyer, sinking the destroyer in about 25 minutes. This incident came to be known as Battle of Romani. The Israeli warships were directed from this base.[3]
Inauguration
The inauguration of the permanent camp of the Navy base in Ashdod was held on 12 August 1968.[4] The commander of the navy stated "the new base of the navy in Ashdod is a key to maintaining the ongoing security and sovereignty of Israel along the southern coasts from North Sinai to the entrances of Port Said".[5]
In the early 1980s, Defense Minister Ariel Sharon wanted to bring the Navy closer to Gaza to save sailing time by moving the base to the city of Ashkelon.[7] The mayor of Ashdod, Zvi Zilkar, strongly opposed this, partly and the plan was ultimately cancelled.[7]
During the Operation Summer Rains on 26 June, the Israeli Navy imposed a naval closure of the Gaza Strip, to prevent the hostage Gilad Shalit being smuggled out by sea by the Palestinian militants. The navy increased patrols of naval vessels along the Gaza coastline, and prepared for an attempt to smuggle Shalit out by boat, sending instructions to captains. Palestinian fast boats were banned from operating in the area, and only small Palestinian fishing boats were allowed on the sea.[11] These patrols were organised from this base.
During the Gaza War (2008–2009) the Israeli Navy attacked Hamas' rocket launchers and outposts, command and control centers, a Hamas patrol boat, and the office of Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, using the Typhoon Weapon System and surface to surface missiles.[12][13] The navy coordinated with other Israeli forces and used powerful shipboard sensors to acquire and shell targets on land.[14][15] Records of the attacks published by the navy indicate that for the first time vessels were equipped with Spike ER electro-optically guided anti-armor missiles. Videos of an attack showed precision hits from a Typhoon stabilizing gun despite a rolling sea. Versions of the Spike were also used by ground units[16] and possibly by helicopters or unmanned aerial vehicles.[17]Shayetet 13 naval commandos were also deployed to attack targets on land,[18] and reportedly attacked an Iranian ship loaded with arms for Hamas, which was docking in Sudan.[19] On 28 December, Naval vessels shelled the Port of Gaza.[20]
On 29 December, the Free Gaza Movement relief boat Dignity carrying volunteer doctors with 3.5 tons of medical supplies, human rights activists (Among them Caoimhe Butterly and former US RepresentativeCynthia McKinney), and a CNN reporter was involved in an altercation with Israeli patrol boats. The captain of the Free Gaza vessel said that their vessel had been rammed intentionally and that there had been no warning before it had been rammed.[21] An Israeli spokesman disputed this, and said the collision was caused by the Dignity attempting to outmaneuver the patrol boats after disobeying Israeli orders to turn back.[22]
On 4 January the Israeli Navy extended its blockade of the Gaza Strip to 20 nautical miles (37km; 23mi).[23]
On 31 May 2010, the Israeli Navy seized an aid convoy of six ships known as the "Gaza Freedom Flotilla".[25] aiming to break through the blockade, carrying humanitarian aid and construction materials. The flotilla had declined an Israeli request to change course to the Ashdod base, where the Israeli government had said it would inspect the aid and deliver (or let humanitarian organizations deliver) Israeli-approved items to Gaza.[26]
Pictured here: Knives, wrenches, and wooden clubs used to attack the soldiers during the 2010 Gaza flotilla raid
Israeli Shayetet 13 naval commandos boarded the ships from speedboats and helicopters launched from three missile ships, while the flotilla was still in international waters.[27] On the MVMavi Marmara, the main ship of the convoy, passengers attacked and managed to capture three soldiers.[28] Israeli soldiers responded with rubber bullets and live ammunition from soldiers in helicopters and on the ship. Several of the activists were shot in the head by Israeli forces, some from behind and at close range.[29] Israel was accused of using disproportionate force. On other ships, soldiers were met with passive resistance which was easily suppressed with non-lethal techniques. Nine passengers were killed and dozens wounded. Nine soldiers were also injured, two of them seriously. All of the ships were seized and towed to Ashdod, while passengers were imprisoned in Israel and then deported to their home countries.[30][31][32][33][34][35] The MVRachel Corrie, a seventh ship that had been delayed, set sail from Malta on the same day of the flotilla's interception. Israeli naval vessels shadowed the Rachel Corrie, and after it ignored three warnings, Israeli commandos boarded the ship from speedboats, arrested the crew, and forced it to sail to Ashdod.[36]
Freedom Flotilla II
Following the Gaza flotilla raid, a coalition of 22 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) assembled in July 2011 a flotilla of 10 vessels and 1,000 activists to breach the blockade.
The vessels docked in Greece in preparation for the journey to Gaza. However, the Greek government announced that it would not allow the vessels to leave for Gaza,[37] and the Hellenic Coast Guard stopped three vessels attempting to evade the travel ban and leave port. On 7 July, most activists left for home, leaving only a few dozen to continue the initiative.[38] On 16 July, the French yacht Dignite Al Karama was allowed to leave port after informing Greek authorities that its destination was Alexandria, Egypt. Instead, the yacht headed directly for Gaza. The Israeli Navy stopped the Dignite Al Karama about 65 kilometres (40mi) off Gaza. After the boat was warned and refused to turn back, it was surrounded by three Israeli naval vessels and boarded by Shayetet 13 commandos, who took it over. The boat was then taken to Ashdod base.[39] Ultimately, the Freedom Flotilla sailing did not take place.
Third Gaza Flotilla
On 4 November 2011, the Israeli Navy intercepted two vessels heading towards Gaza in a private initiative to break the blockade. Shayetet 13 commandos boarded the vessels from speedboats and took them over with no resistance. The vessels were then taken to Ashdod base.[40]
Operation Iron Law
During the Victoria Affair, the ship Victoria was seized about 200 nautical miles (370km; 230mi) from the Israeli coast, while on its way from Turkey to El-Arish port in Egypt (other sources give the destination as Alexandria, Egypt).[41] According to the IDF, the ship picked up the cargo in the Port of Latakia in Syria and sailed to Mersin, Turkey.[42] The ship was intercepted by Israeli Navy missile ships, which radioed the captain and questioned him about his point of origin and planned destination, then informed him that his ship was suspected of carrying illegal cargo, and requested permission to board for an inspection. The captain agreed, and ordered the vessel stopped. Several minutes later, speedboats carrying commandos from Israel's elite naval unit, Shayetet 13, pulled alongside the ship. A ladder was dropped for them to climb aboard. The commandos boarded with their weapons at the ready out of concern that there could be Iranian or Hamas operatives on board. The commandos ordered the crew to assemble on the bridge, and then began inspecting the cargo.[41] The IDF said the ship's crew was unaware it was carrying concealed weapons. The ship was redirected to the Ashdod base for further inspection. After the contraband was unloaded, Israel announced it would release the Victoria and allowed it to continue its journey to the Egyptian port of Alexandria.[43]
Operation Protective Edge
During the 2014 Gaza War, Shayetet 3 off-shore fleet fired 3,494 naval shells, into the Gaza Strip[44] which was coordinated from this base.
Israel-Hamas war
During the Israel Hamas war, an estimated 35 fighters of Hamas' Nukhba unit were observed crossing into Israeli waters from the Gaza fishing zone during the Zikim attack.[45][46] Col. Eitan Paz, commander of the Ashdod naval base, having been forewarned of the invasion by Gaza Division commander Avi Rosenfeld earlier in the morning, immediately ordered the forces under his command to defend the Israeli maritime border and prevent raids on the coast.[46]
Israeli sources stated that three of the boats were destroyed by patrol boats of the Israeli Navy's 916th Patrol Squadron from Ashdod naval base before they reached the shore, and sailors of the Snapir unit, the Israeli Navy's protection and harbor security unit, subsequently moved in on Defender-class boats and killed the survivors as well as Hamas divers they discovered with gunfire and depth charges. However, the remaining boat soon made it to Zikim beach.[46][47][48]
In May 2022 it was announced that the Navy decided to re-establish Shayetet 11, following this the IDF purchased two LSV vessels which will be used by the Israeli Navy to conduct amphibious landings as well as to transport supplies.[49]
The flotilla is operated from Ashdod Naval Base.[49] The first amphibious vehicle, INS Nachshon , was delivered to the Navy in August 2023.[50] The second landing vessel, INS Kommiat , arrived in Israel in June 2024.[51]
The ships of the voyage are divided between four cruises, the Bezeq cruise, the Kasif cruise, the Trigon cruise, and the Shark cruise . Each cruise is commanded by naval officers with the rank of captain/major, a qualified vessel commander.[52]
It has a subunit called the 'Snapir unit' with the task of ensuring the security of the base.[53]
The Israeli Navy is the naval warfare service arm of the Israel Defense Forces, operating primarily in the Mediterranean Sea theater as well as the Gulf of Eilat and the Red Sea theater. The current commander in chief of the Israeli Navy is Aluf David Saar Salama. The Israeli Navy is believed to be responsible for maintaining Israel's offshore nuclear second strike capability.
The Sa'ar 4.5-class missile boats is a class of Israeli Sea Corps missile boats designed and built by Israel Shipyards Ltd. for Shayetet 3 flotilla as an improved and stretched Sa'ar 4-class missile boat. There are two different subclasses that are both named Sa'ar 4.5. The first subclass was initially called Chochit, but renamed to Aliya. Two Aliya-subclass boats are in service with the Mexican Navy. The second subclass was initially called Nirit but renamed to Hetz.
Shayetet 13 is a unit of the Israeli Navy and one of the primary reconnaissance units of the Israel Defense Forces. Shayetet 13 specializes in sea-to-land incursions, counter-terrorism, sabotage, maritime intelligence gathering, maritime hostage rescue, and boarding. The unit is trained for sea, air and land actions. The unit has taken part in almost all of Israel's major wars, as well as other actions.
The Free Gaza Movement (FGM) is a coalition of human rights activists and pro-Palestinian groups formed to break Egypt and Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip and publicise the situation of the Palestinians there. FGM has challenged the Israeli–Egyptian blockade by sailing humanitarian aid ships to Gaza. The group has more than 70 endorsers, including the late Desmond Tutu and Noam Chomsky.
The Francop Affair was a high seas incident on November 4, 2009 in which the Israeli Navy seized the cargo ship MV Francop in the eastern Mediterranean Sea and its cargo of hundreds of tons of weapons allegedly bound from Iran to Hezbollah. The incident is also known by its military operation name, Operation Four Species.
The Gaza flotilla raid was a military operation by Israel against six civilian ships of the "Gaza Freedom Flotilla" on 31 May 2010 in international waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Nine of the flotilla passengers were killed during the raid, with thirty wounded. Ten Israeli soldiers were wounded, one seriously. The exact sequence of events is contested, in part due to the IDF's confiscation of the passengers' photographic evidence. The flotilla, organized by the Free Gaza Movement and the Turkish Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (İHH), was carrying humanitarian aid and construction materials, intending to break the Israeli naval blockade of the Gaza Strip.
MV Mavi Marmara is a Comoros-flagged passenger ship, which was formerly owned and operated by İDO Istanbul Fast Ferries Co. Inc. on the line Sarayburnu, Istanbul-Marmara Island-Avşa Island in the Sea of Marmara. Built at the Golden Gate Shipyard by Turkish Shipbuilding Co. in 1994, the ship has a capacity of 1,080 passengers. It is best known for its participation in the Gaza Freedom Flotilla and the deadly confrontation that took place on it during the Gaza flotilla raid.
The Cambodian-flagged Irish MV Rachel Corrie was part of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla that sailed to Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid in 2010. The ship was unable to join the other six ships in the flotilla because of mechanical problems that forced it to undergo repairs in Malta. The other six ships were confronted by a raid on 31 May 2010 during which nine activists were killed by Israeli naval forces.
The Gaza Freedom Flotilla was a small fleet of ships organized in 2010 by the Free Gaza Movement and the Turkish Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (İHH) carrying humanitarian aid and construction materials with the intention of breaking the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip. In typical circumstances, aid is first brought to Israel to be inspected and then transferred to Gaza.
The Jewish Boat to Gaza was an initiative in an attempt to break the blockade of Gaza in late 2010. The boat, a catamaran named the MV Irene, had eight activists on board, all of them either Israelis or Jews from the United States, United Kingdom, or Germany, plus one English photojournalist, a total of nine passengers. It received support by the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD). The boat set sail from Northern Cyprus on November 26, 2010.
The Victoria Affair was a military operation conducted by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in March 2011 in which the Israeli Navy intercepted the vessel Victoria on the international waters in the Mediterranean, and discovered concealed weapons which, according to the IDF, were destined for Palestinian militant organizations in the Gaza Strip. The vessel was found to be carrying approximately 50 tons of weapons, including C-704 anti-ship missiles, rocket launchers, radar systems, mortar shells and rifle ammunition.
"Freedom Flotilla II – Stay Human" was a flotilla that planned to break the maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip by Israel by sailing to Gaza on 5 July 2011. Ultimately, the sailing did not take place.
David Saar Salama is an Israeli Vice Admiral (Aluf) who currently serves as the commander of the Israeli Navy.
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Israeli Naval Shipyards is the institution within the Israeli Navy concerned with shipbuilding and ship repairs. Three shipyards—Haifa, Eilat, and Atlit—and several Israeli naval workshops are under the command of this institution. It was established during the Israeli War of Independence along with that of Israeli Navy, its origin traces back to the British Naval Shipyard in Haifa established in 1942 during the Second World War.
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References
1 2 Shlomo Nekedimon. A base in the presence of an enemy'.
1 2 Uri Porat (July 1967). A base within a day - in "Naval systems", "Navy statement on alertness and war". pp.24–25.
↑ Reynolds, Paul (2 June 2010). "Israeli convoy raid: What went wrong?". BBC News. Archived from the original on 3 June 2010. Retrieved 2 June 2010. The passengers... pulled out bats, clubs and slingshots with glass marbles, assaulting each soldier as he disembarked.
↑ “Gaza Flotilla Activists Were Shot in Head at Close Range,” Guardian (4 June 2010)
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