The Israeli Navy’s Squadron 916 is taking part in a special set of naval exercises in the Mediterranean this week, aimed at preparing for a possible conflict with the Gaza Strip.
The exercises include scenarios featuring maritime infiltration attempts from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip into Israel by scuba teams, along with other scenarios including maritime rescue missions to recover wounded personnel in the Mediterranean.
“We want to prepare as best we can for the possibility of another war,” said Lt. Col. Ran Stigman, the squadron’s commander. “In war, you’re not prepared for anything.”
“We’re already used to squadron exercises divided up into two rounds, but this kind of [exercise] we haven’t had yet,” said on the sailors involved in the exercise.
Lt. Col. Stigman, whose command spans the maritime zone from the coast of Ashdod down to the border with Egyptian waters, spanning the Gaza coast. He noted that his squadron was the only Israeli force in the area of the Philadelphia Corridor – the narrow strip of land which serves as a buffer zone between Gaza and the Egyptian border.
“Most of our focus is on the area from Ashkelon down to Egypt; we are in effect the only [Israeli] force left in the area of the Philadelphia Corridor. We have a few goals including preventing maritime smuggling, preventing infiltrations, etc.”
Last week, an even more comprehensive naval exercise was conducted in the area, aimed at preparing Israeli naval forces for a possible military confrontation with Hamas.