The Israel Police closed off the beach in the Coastal Plain city of Hadera on Monday following reports that a swimmer was attacked by a shark.
Following the reports, the Interior Ministry told the Hefer Valley Regional Council, whose jurisdiction covers an area adjacent to Hadera in the north to Netanya in the south, to close all beaches to the public.
According to Israel’s Magen David Adom medical emergency response organization, “a report was received at MDA’s 101 emergency dispatch center in the Sharon region about a man who was bitten by a shark at a beach in Hadera.”
“Medics and paramedics are currently searching the area,” MDA said. “At this stage, the reportedly injured person has not yet been located.”
Channel 12 News reported that the shark also attacked a rescue diver.
According to Israel’s Ynet news outlet, equipment was found on the beach that authorities now believe belongs to the missing swimmer.
The Israel Nature and Parks Authority noted that the reported shark attack took place in an area that is prohibited for swimming.
“The Authority reiterates its warning against interacting with sharks and once again calls on the public to avoid approaching them, as they are protected animals,” the state body said.
Shark attacks are extremely rare in Israel. In 2013, an attack occurred after a shark got trapped inside a fish cage and bit when people tried to remove it. Before that, the only recorded incident was during the British Mandate period, when a police officer was attacked off Tel Aviv’s coast.
