Zikim Beach near the northern border with the Gaza Strip, the site of one of Hamas terrorists’ mass killings two years ago, is to reopen to the general public on Thursday for the first time since the October 7, 2023, invasion, authorities announced on Wednesday.

Following a fresh assessment, the military said IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir approved a recommendation by the Southern Command to reopen Zikim Beach, in coordination with the regional council, and to lift the closed military zone status imposed on the area since the start of the war.

On the morning of October 7 two years ago, 38 Hamas terrorists in seven speedboats set out from the Gaza Strip. Some of the terrorists reached the beach area, where they killed 17 civilians and one soldier, according to a military probe.

When it reopens on Thursday, the beach will initially be accessible between the hours of 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. with a lifeguard there from 9 a.m., said a joint statement from the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council and the Tekuma Directorate, a government body tasked with rehabilitating the Gaza border communities overrun by........

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