Following a suspected shark attack off the coast of Hadera, a diver remains missing. Israeli authorities on Monday closed several beaches between Hadera and Netanya and launched a large-scale search operation.
The incident occurred on Monday afternoon near the Orot Rabin power station, an area where swimming is prohibited. A spokesperson for the emergency service Magen David Adom stated: “The person reported as injured has not yet been located.” The Israeli police also confirmed that a diver is missing.
According to media reports, the missing person is a man in his forties from Petach Tikva. After a workday in northern Israel, he reportedly stopped by the beach to go fishing. His personal belongings and his car were found at the shore.
A diver was reportedly bitten by a shark off the coast of a beach in Hadera today. Police are searching for the victim, but no injured people have been found so far.pic.twitter.com/lC6coOyZ1z
— Israel National News – Arutz Sheva (@ArutzSheva_En) April 21, 2025
Eyewitnesses described dramatic scenes. One beachgoer told Israeli media: “I saw blood in the water and heard screaming.” Another witness claimed to have heard the diver shout, “They’re biting me,” before he disappeared beneath the surface.
Rescue teams, including police, navy, and firefighters, are searching with boats, divers, and helicopters. The beaches of Hadera, Mikhmoret, Beit Yanai, and Neurim will remain closed until further notice.
Shark attacks in Israel are extremely rare. The last documented incident occurred in 2013 when a shark, trapped inside a fish cage, bit a person trying to free it. Prior to that, there was only one known attack, during the British Mandate period, when a British police officer was attacked off the coast of Tel Aviv.
Experts believe that the unusual presence of sharks near the coast may be linked to the warm wastewater discharged from the power station as well as fish die-offs in nearby rivers. These factors could attract predatory fish such as sandbar or copper sharks.
The Israel Nature and Parks Authority emphasized that sharks are a protected species and strongly warned against approaching or attempting to touch them. In recent weeks, several sharks had been sighted in the area, and some beach visitors had filmed or even tried to interact with the animals — behavior now drawing increased criticism.
The search for the missing diver continued on Tuesday morning. It remains unclear when the beaches will be reopened. Authorities are urging the public to take the warnings seriously and to avoid the closed coastal areas.
