Israel shark attack: Beasts had 'circled beach for hours' as locals 'not surprised' by mauling
Sharks were reportedly spotted in the water hours before the attack off Hadera, north-west Israel, with locals offering different theories as to what lured the powerful beasts so close to shore
Beachgoers who witnessed a horrific shark attack have said they are 'not surprised' after seeing fins circling swimmers for hours beforehand.
Human remains believed to belong to a missing diver were discovered today after a rare shark attack unfolded off the coast of Hadera, north-west Israel on Monday. Footage said to be of the incident was shared online in the aftermath, showing a person thrashing around in the sea before the water around them turns a dark red colour. Eyewitnesses on shore are heard shouting and screaming in horror. Now, some of people who were on the beach at the time have said they saw the sharks in the water hours before the attack unfolded - and claimed that local fishermen hurting the sea mammals could have tempted them closer to shore.
One eyewitness told Y Net News: "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."
Another witness told Israeli media that they were walking down to the beach when they heard a man in the sea shouting "I'm bitten, I'm bitten" and waving his hands in the air. He "disappeared" under the waves a few minutes later, they added.
Police today began work to confirm whether human remains found in the sea belonged to the missing man, reported to be a 40-year-old father of four.
Deputy Fire Chief Doron Almashali said: "After a day and a half of intensive effort, we have found what appears to be part of the missing person. Naturally, these findings must undergo thorough examinations by the Israel Police and the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute.
"We will continue working to confirm that we have indeed found the missing individual. We conducted our search pattern based on careful analysis of underwater currents, and it was precisely in that area where the remains were discovered.
While some local people have blamed fishing practices for the sharks coming closer to the beach, another theory surrounds the local power station. Sandbar and dusky sharks have reportedly been sighted around this site for decades, which has an outflow that releases hot water from turbines into the Hadera river.
On Monday, the Society for the Protection of Nature charity claimed it had called on Israeli government four years ago to restrict human activity around the stretch of coast next to the power station, with large numbers spotted int he area between October and May.
It said in a statement: "Every winter, a unique phenomenon occurs in Israel in which sharks and rays gather at the outlet of the warm waters of the power stations. In the case of such a fascinating and public-attracting phenomenon, it would be appropriate to take conservation and safety measures for the public, but over the years, chaos has developed in the area.'
It is not known which type of shark species attacked the diver. Shark attacks are very rare in Israel, with no recorded fatalities since the state was founded in the 1940s.
Other than an incident in 2013 involving a shark trapped inside a fish cage attacking fishermen, the last recorded shark attack came when the region was under British Mandate, when a police officer was injured off the coast of Tel Aviv.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Spectator
2 hours ago
- Spectator
The delusion of western Palestine activists in Egypt
As the news cycle shifts its gaze to Iran and the escalating war to prevent the psychotic Islamic theocracy from going nuclear, spare a thought for the few hundred virtue-signalling westerners who thought it would be clever to traipse through Egypt and attempt to approach the Gaza border, armed not with aid or expertise, but with slogans, smartphones, and a boundless belief in their own moral radiance. They came, allegedly, to show solidarity with Gaza. What they revealed, instead, was the sheer delusion of performative activism gone rogue. Egypt, they quickly discovered, is not Glastonbury These self-styled heroes of humanity had absorbed the wildest claims from Hamas propagandists: tales of genocide, disproportionality, and babies being starved by 'Zionists' for sport. That this information may have come from a terrorist organisation that systematically lies, stages suffering for cameras, and steals aid from its own people did not seem to give them pause. Nor did the macabre irony that Hamas triggered this war by butchering Israeli civilians on 7 October, in an Iranian-backed rampage. For the marchers, it seems context and truth are distractions. Israel is evil, Gaza is pure, and anything that complicates this infantile morality play must be ignored. And so they flew to Cairo, preening like missionaries, oblivious to the region they were entering. Egypt, they quickly discovered, is not Glastonbury. Its security services do not offer vegan meal options or safe spaces. Within days, hundreds were detained, deported, or dumped back in the capital. One might almost feel sorry for them, if it weren't all so laughable. Their misfortune wasn't just predictable, it was the logical outcome of their fantasy-driven politics colliding with a brutal, indifferent reality. One particular scene went viral, mostly because of its tragicomic absurdity. A heavily tattooed man from Wales, claiming to be a nurse and pacifist, stood theatrically in front of Egyptian officers, pleading for passage. His Welsh lilt only sharpened the absurdity: 'You do have a choice. You're humans. We're here for humanity… You are my brother. In Islam, you are my brother!' A woman beside him asked, 'Are you a Muslim?' He ignored her. The performance rolled on. 'Please, I saw them shooting pregnant women, Muslim women.' Behind him, the crowd chanted 'Free, free Palestine,' and our Florence Nightingale of farce continued: 'These people aren't Muslims doing this, they're Zionists. They're not Jewish… I stand for Islam, I stand for the people of Falesteen.' It would have been risible if it weren't so revealing. Far from being political or humanitarian action, this was mere street theatre, but it soon wore thin: even the over-enthusiastic Arabic interpreter who had manically waved his arms and relayed this poor chap's desperate message eventually wandered off, apparently bored. The Welshman carried on alone, invoking starving babies, empty breasts, and the 'white hearts' of the Arab world. This, presumably, was meant to dignify his sobbing saviour complex, but it came across as patronising. The whole thing felt like a pitiful, live-streamed hallucination or a previously unseen moment from Little Britain. But it's not just idiocy on display. There is a deeper, darker pattern at work. Though they're encouraged by the activist news angles which seek to paint the conflict in simplistic, black and white terms, like a Ladybird book version of reality, these activists do not simply fall into their beliefs. They seek them out. They aren't 'radicalised' like someone catches a cold. Instead, they walk themselves into it, one credulous, self-congratulatory step at a time. As philosopher Quassim Cassam argues, extremism isn't just about ideology or tactics, it's a mindset: rigid, conspiratorial, and self-righteous. It thrives on grievance, absolutism and moral vanity. And crucially, it is chosen. People adopt it to interpret the world in a way that flatters their self-image and justifies their hostility. In this sense, the activists' worldview isn't imposed upon them, it is cultivated, reinforced, and rehearsed, with each act of public 'solidarity' functioning as both ritual and performance. They don't appear to ask why Hamas steals aid, embeds rockets in hospitals, or uses civilians as shields. They ignore why Gaza remains under blockade: because demilitarisation and deradicalisation were never accepted. Instead, they fixate on Israel, the Jewish state, as a unique and monstrous evil. This obscene inversion is not empathy. It is hatred, moralised. And the media helps. The BBC and other outlets regurgitate Hamas casualty claims as gospel, air scripted stories by Hamas leaders' children, broadcast false claims of 'flattened' hospitals, and treat every activist as a prophet or a saint. The BBC Arabic service even insisted that Jews spit on Christians as part of a holy festival ritual (we don't). The result is a feedback loop of propaganda and performance. The media amplifies the activists. The activists believe the media. And all of them seem to reinforce each other's prejudices under the performative illusion of humanitarianism. If they cared for Palestinians, they would campaign for Hamas to disarm, for children to be educated in peace, and for aid to be routed through secure, accountable channels. They would support Israel's right to exist and defend itself, and they would call out the Islamic fanatics who hold Gaza hostage and murder and rape Jews. But that would require moral clarity, political knowledge, and a spine. Far easier to film yourself sobbing outside Rafah and post it on Instagram for instant likes and shares. In the modern world, victimhood is currency. And being manhandled by Egyptian police, or weeping theatrically for the cameras, only boosts your activist credentials. They aren't real martyrs, but they certainly play them online. This is a grotesque masquerade. It feeds anti-Semitism, empowers terrorists, and distracts from real solutions. And all for what? So a few westerners can feel righteous for an afternoon. Spare a thought indeed, but not a tear.
NBC News
2 hours ago
- NBC News
‘Nothing was left': Israeli residents react to Iranian missile strike
At least three people were killed after an Iranian missile hit a residential building in the central Israeli town of Petah Tikva, according to Israeli police. One resident said that after they heard the air raid sirens, they only had about two minutes to shelter before the missile landed.
NBC News
15 hours ago
- NBC News
Search continues for Minnesota suspect and Trump vetoes an Israeli plot: Weekend Rundown
Authorities in Minnesota have mobilized state and local police, SWAT teams and K-9 units across multiple counties as a massive search continues for a 57-year-old man suspected of shooting two state Democratic lawmakers in a targeted attack. Vance Boelter, 57, is accused of committing the 'politically motivated' shootings. State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were killed Saturday morning at their home. State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were severely injured in a second shooting. Officials say Boelter impersonated law enforcement in order to gain access to the lawmakers' homes. Photos, believed to be of Boelter, show a man at one of the victim's doors wearing a long-sleeve shirt and what looks like a bulletproof vest similar to those worn by law enforcement. Another photo shows a man wearing a cowboy hat walking alone. Authorities on Sunday found what they believe is his vehicle and cowboy hat in Sibley County, where an emergency alert was issued for residents in the area to keep their doors locked and cars secured, NBC affiliate KARE 11 reported. Earlier Sunday, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said on NBC News' 'Meet the Press' that Boelter is believed to still be in the Midwest. 'We believe he's somewhere in the vicinity and that they are going to find him,' she said. 'But right now, everyone is on edge here because we know that this man will kill at a second.' An official who saw a list of names drawn up by Boelter previously told NBC News that it targeted prominent people in Minnesota who advocated for reproductive rights. Trump vetoed Israeli proposal to assassinate Iran's supreme leader President Donald Trump rejected a proposal from Israel in recent days to assassinate Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a U.S. official told NBC News. During an interview on Fox News, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu neither directly confirmed nor denied the initial Reuters report about the proposed assassination attempt, but he dismissed what he called 'false reports' regarding discussions between the U.S. and Israel. The news comes as deadly strikes between Israel and Iran intensified, with Iran launching drones as Israel expanded its attacks to include oil depots, missile sites and nuclear infrastructure, killing at least 150 people and leaving hundreds injured, Iran state media said. Iran's retaliatory strikes have killed at least 13 people in Israel to date, including 3 children, Netanyahu's office said. Israeli strikes have deeply wounded Iran's government, leaving it facing a number of questions, including whether it needs to give up on negotiations and rush its nuclear program. A military parade amid turmoil at home and abroad President Donald Trump presided over a parade Saturday celebrating the nation's military power and history, though the event was shadowed by political violence at home and escalating tensions abroad. 'Every other country celebrates their victories,' Trump said as he took the lectern after the parade ended. 'It's about time America did, too. That's what we're doing tonight.' Prone to delivering long, boastful speeches, Trump kept his remarks brief and made the military the focus. Beforehand, critics had warned he would politicize the event for his own purposes. Trump avoided any overt partisan messages, though he seemed to allude at one point to his 'Fight! Fight! Fight!' exhortation after an assassination attempt against him last year. 'Time and again, America's enemies have learned that if you threaten the American people, our soldiers are coming for you,' Trump said. 'Your defeat will be certain. Your demise will be final, and your downfall will be total and complete — because our soldiers never give up, never surrender and never ever quit. They fight, fight, fight and they win, win, win.' Meet the Press Sen. Rand Paul, a leading Republican critic of the sweeping Trump agenda bill, said during an interview on NBC News' 'Meet the Press' that he told President Donald Trump that he is 'not an absolute no' on the package. 'I talked to the president last evening after the parade, and we're trying to get to a better place in our conversations,' Paul said. 'And I've let him know that I'm not an absolute no.' The Kentucky Republican said that in order to vote for the package, he wants lawmakers to separate out a vote on the debt ceiling. The Trump-backed 'big, beautiful bill' is projected to increase the national deficit by about $2.4 trillion over 10 years, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Meanwhile, Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., condemned Trump's call to send the National Guard and Marines into Los Angeles amid protests, and criticized the forceful removal of fellow California Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla at Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's news conference last week. 'This is just Donald Trump doing what he wanted to do in the first administration, which was essentially use the military for domestic law enforcement, to make himself look tough,' Schiff said. Politics in brief Welcome to the zoo. That'll be $47 today — ask again tomorrow. How much will it cost to visit a museum, zoo or aquarium this summer? The answer, increasingly, is: It depends. Zoo New England is one of many attractions embracing dynamic pricing systems that were earlier pioneered by airlines, ride-hailing apps and theme parks. While these practices allow operators to lower prices when demand is soft, they also enable the reverse, threatening to squeeze consumers who are increasingly trimming their summer travel budgets. Before the pandemic, less than 1% of attractions surveyed by Arival, a tourism market research and events firm, used variable or dynamic pricing. Today, 17% use variable pricing, in which entry fees are adjusted based on predictable factors such as the day of the week or the season, Arival said. And 6% use dynamic pricing, in which historical and real-time data on weather, staffing, demand patterns and more influence rates. Data-driven pricing can reduce overcrowding by steering budget-minded guests toward dates that are both cheaper and less busy. But steeper prices during peak periods and for short-notice visits could rankle guests — who may see anything less than a top-notch experience as a rip-off. Notable quote We were just so happy that they caught him. This was an evil guy. Grant Hardin's escape from an Arkansas prison last month involved detailed planning, perfect timing and a makeshift outfit designed to mimic a law enforcement uniform. After nearly two weeks on the run, the 'Devil in the Ozarks' was found about 1.5 miles west of the prison. In case you missed it
