The IDF launched an urgent investigation after a film from an internal inquiry into a July 8 raid by Hamas naval commands on Zikim beach was leaked, and reached Palestinian media networks.
The footage, compiled as part of the military's analysis of the incident, in which Hamas commandos swam from Gaza to Israeli territory and attempted to storm Zikim beach before being killed, presents a significantly longer battle than the version shown by the IDF at the time of the incident, which occurred in the midst of the summer conflict.
The IDF had apparently withheld sections of the movie showing terrorists running up to a D9 and planting an explosive on it, and hurling a grenade at a tank, for security reasons.
"This [movie] is an internal IDF investigation, and the leak forms a severe incident that will be investigated and dealt with accordingly, and not through the media," an official IDF Spokesman Unit statement said.
Users of the Whatsapp smart phone chat application also shared the movie, which featured audio communications between the Erez Regional Control center that detected the terrorists, and military units that attempted to destroy the hostile cell, succeeding after a lengthy effort.
According to IDF assessments, the commando was dispatched in July by senior terrorist operative Ahmed Andur, who is active in northern Gaza.
It showed how tanks, cannon fire from a Dvora navy boat, and ultimately the air force were all called upon to destroy the terrorist cell's members.
During the incident, police closed off the vicinity and local residents were told to stay indoors.
Hamas's military wing the al-Qassam Brigades claimed at the time on its twitter account that it "stormed the Zionist naval base on the shores of the sea."