In accordance with the operational situation assessment, IDF Chief of General Staff LTG Eyal Zamir on Wednesday instructed that the Zikim Beach in southern Israel be reopened to the public.
In a statement, the IDF announced that Zamir has "instructed the Southern Command to enable, in close coordination and cooperation with the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council, the reopening of Zikim Beach to the public and the lifting of the closed military zone order that has been in effect since the beginning of the war."
"The beach will open on Thursday, October 16, 2025. This decision comes following significant operational activities carried out by IDF troops under the Southern Command in the area of the northern Gaza Strip, as well as a structured combat procedure conducted in the Southern Command and the Israeli Navy in recent weeks.
"IDF troops under the Southern Command will continue operating to protect residents of the western Negev."
The statement stressed, "The IDF views the opening of the beach as an additional step in the rehabilitation of the area, and therefore, every effort was made to ensure that the beach is opened to the public in the safest and most effective manner."