A swimmer has gone missing following a rare shark attack off the coast of Hadera, Israel, Israeli police and emergency responders reported on Monday. The incident occurred near the mouth of the Hadera Stream, in a section of beach where swimming was officially prohibited. Israel is on the Mediterranean Sea.
Shark attacks are more common in the Red Sea in Sinai, and the beaches of Egypt. There was a shark attack there in the winter, killing one.
“There has never been a fatal shark attack in Israel on the Mediterranean coast,” says local J. Neufield. “Near Hadera there are certain warmer sections of water due to some of the nearby plants (as in electric and desalination) and sharks are attracted to those waters.
“The types of sharks are usually docile and for decades people have swim/snorkeled and dived there to see them. There have been sightings of them coming very close to shore in last few days. This is a very tragic and unusual event and we will have to wait to see official report for circumstances.”
Magen David Adom emergency services said a search operation was underway, involving rescue divers and maritime patrols. Authorities have since closed the beach to the public as a precaution.
Locals caught the attack on film and posted it on X.
Israel’s Channel 12 News reported that during the rescue operation, a diver was also bitten by the shark, escalating concerns about public safety in the area.
Though shark sightings near Hadera and Israel are not uncommon—particularly between November and May—attacks on humans are extremely rare. The region is known to attract dusky sharks (Carcharhinus obscurus) and sandbar sharks (Carcharhinus plumbeus), both of which are large, coastal species. These sharks are typically not aggressive toward humans and are drawn to the warm outflows from the Hadera power station, seen in the background of the X video, and the abundance of food sources near the streams.
In recent days, large fish die-offs in the Hadera and nearby Alexander Streams have likely lured more sharks close to the shoreline. These predators play a crucial ecological role by consuming dead and dying fish, helping to keep coastal waters clean and in balance.
While the Mediterranean Sea is home to over 40 species of sharks, sightings along Israeli shores are relatively infrequent, and serious incidents like this one are exceedingly rare. Authorities are urging the public to avoid swimming in prohibited areas and to report any unusual marine activity. About 15 years ago we reported that shark attacks were up 25% worldwide.
A couple of years ago a seal washed up on shore in Jaffa.
