Shayetet 13 (Israel navy seals) Activity

Since the morning of October 7th, Israel’s Navy SEALs have operated tirelessly in defense of the country, including:

• Seizing a Hezbollah outpost in November, confiscating guns, surface-to-air missiles, IEDs, and reconnaissance equipment intended for use against Israeli citizens [first video].

• Raiding northern Lebanon to capture a senior Hezbollah official and return him to Israel for interrogation.

• Rescuing two hostages from deep within southern Gaza, four additional hostages in an unprecedented daytime raid in central Gaza, and Israeli Bedouin Qaid Farhan Alkali from a tunnel. These operations were conducted in coordination with numerous other IDF units.

• Discovering the bodies of the six hostages slain inside a Gaza tunnel, on September 1, 2024.

• playing vital roles in actions including the capture of a senior Hamas commander and operations at Rantisi Hospital, Gaza Harbor, Khan Yunis, and Shifa Hospital.

• Launching offensive operations in Gaza in advance of the ground offensive.

• On October 7-9, 2023, rescuing hundreds of hostages and neutralizing or capturing more than 100 terrorists on Israeli soil at key battlegrounds including the Sufa Outpost and Kibbutzim Be’eri, Kfar Aza, Nir Oz and Mefalsim.

"[Rescuing Farhan Al-Gadi alive was] A moment of elation," Israel Navy SEAL Commander Col. A. recalled. "...But this is a brief moment. An hour after he was rescued and evacuated, we were already fighting on the ground. Even after such a happy moment, the war continues. There's no Hollywood ending." Read the translated rare interview with the Israel Navy SEAL Commander from Ynet’s magazine

FOUNDATION activity

The day war came to Israel on October 7th, we began meeting the most immediate needs of Shayetet 13 (Israel's Navy SEALs) and the broader community. Thanks to the established partnership between Shayetet 13 commanders, our Israeli partner Atalef Foundation and AFINS, and the immediate activation of our US community, our response was swift and significant.

Summarizing our impact in three areas:

Immediate Israel-wide Crisis Response (October 2023)

• Supported a partner in opening two hotels to evacuees from the south and their raise of nearly 2.5 million shekels for the evacuees’ benefit.

• Continued to operate our Buddy Line program, supporting the mental health of severely post-traumatic veterans who are at their most vulnerable.

The Injured and the Families of Fallen SEALs (Ongoing)

• Meeting the personal and communal needs of the bereaved families of Israel Navy SEALs who have fallen in battle.

• Supporting injured SEALs and their families during their hospital stay, their transition home and beyond.

Active and Reservist SEALs

On Saturday morning, October 7th, Shayetet 13 called up 500 reservists and 1,500 (300%) reported for duty, arriving at the base within hours. Among the needs generated by this unprecedented influx of reservists were:

• 1,000 phone chargers and blankets as well as underwear, socks, bodysuits, toiletries and items for women on the base

• appliances including refrigerators, washing machines, dryers, mattresses and televisions

• support collecting and transporting reserve-duty gear and related items from homes and other bases across Israel

• special requests of the Atalef Foundation on behalf of the homefront and war effort

Having met critical infrastructure needs, our focus has turned to supporting the psychological and financial resilience of warriors and their families. We:

• provide discreet financial aid to SEAL business owners and freelancers completing hundreds of days of reserve duty and whose families have begun struggling without that income.

• launched a SEAL reintegration program combining elements from our established programs addressing post-traumatic stress, with the goal of early intervention to reduce longer-term effects and support SEALs’ readiness to return to combat duty. Since February 2024, 12 highly operational Shayetet 13 teams have participated in three-day guided retreats.

• launched a spouse support program for 500 spouses managing their families and careers alone for weeks on end with minimal communication with their husbands. This has included virtual and in-person workshops and social programming [Video at right].

• are prioritizing IDF and security service members from the current war in the 2024 cohort of Buddy Line.

Honoring the Fallen

To-date, six Israel Navy SEALs have fallen in battle, making the ultimate sacrifice in defense of the State of Israel and the Jewish people. We honor them with a lifelong commitment to their families. May their memories be for a blessing.

ways to support 

AFINS community support allows us to meet the most immediate and ongoing needs of Israel’s Navy SEALs and their families as they continue the search for hostages, the hunting of Hamas and the defense of northern Israel against Hezbollah. Three ways you can help:

• Make a Tax-Deductible Donation

• Share this page with others.

• Follow and promote AFINS:

Thank you for your support of
the tip-of-the-spear in Israel’s defenses.