“I was in the water, I saw blood and there were screams,” Eliya Motai told Ynet on Monday after witnessing a diver being attacked by at least one shark off the coast of Hadera. The search for the missing diver was halted at nightfall and is expected to resume at first light, with patrols continuing scans along the shore overnight.
Following the unusual attack, the Interior Ministry ordered the closure of the beaches located near the site where sharks were seen. All beaches between Hadera and Netanya were also closed, with black flags posted to indicate swimming is prohibited.
Footage of the attack at Hadera beach
(Video: Gil Nechushtan, Israel Police)
Motai, who had been swimming nearby when the attack took place, added: “I didn’t see much — just a little blood. I was a few meters from shore. It’s terrifying. We were here yesterday and saw the sharks circling us.”
A woman at the scene told emergency responders, “There’s someone out there, a shark bit him. He’s screaming for help in the water at Hadera. He’s drowning. He’s in the water and no one is going in to save him. There’s blood everywhere — the sharks are eating him. I think he’s a diver. There are a few sharks on him.”
Another witness, Shlomo, was on the beach with friends when the attack occurred. “We were just walking down to the water when we saw someone flailing in the sea — fighting a shark and trying to get away. The shark lunged at him. It was hard to watch. It was chilling. We literally saw the shark attack him. I don’t understand how the beach wasn’t closed. It could’ve been me. All of us are traumatized.”
Beachgoers told Ynet they were not surprised by the incident, claiming local fishing practices may be provoking the sharks. “It’s no wonder they attacked. There are fishermen here all the time and their hooks injure the sharks, causing them to bleed. That’s why they went after people.”
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The Interior Ministry reiterated its beach closure order, urging the public to stay out of the water. “Black flags will be posted at all beaches in the region, marking that swimming is prohibited,” the statement read. Police also closed Hadera Beach and set up fencing around the mouth of the Hadera River.
Marine biologist Dr. Adi Barash, of the Sharks in Israel group and the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History at Tel Aviv University, said the attack stemmed from several identifiable causes, most of which relate to human behavior.
A member of the IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group, Barash explained that “beyond the unsuitable water conditions — depth and currents — the large number of people crowding the area created gatherings around the sharks, which should never happen. It can easily lead to attacks.”
She said there had been repeated incidents of people pulling sharks by the tail or entering the water with children in their arms to “play” with them. “The lack of proper enforcement meant people weren’t being kept away from the sharks,” she added.
“This is a period when the number of dead fish is high, due to warming waters and recent rainfall during the holiday break — right at the peak of shark feeding season,” she said.
While the species involved in the attack has not been confirmed, she said it was likely a dusky shark. “Steps must be taken to prevent these interactions and protect the sharks, which are a legally protected species in Israel.”