After 48 hours, Israeli authorities have revealed that Barak Tzach from Petach Tikva was the man killed Monday by sharks in Hadera.

One of his friends, who arrived at the beach, said, "I warned him not to go into the water, and then I received the terrible news and realized we lost him. His wife kept calling me, and I didn't know what to tell her. We've known each other for more than 20 years, working and spending time together. He was supposed to be at my son's wedding in two months. It's difficult to comprehend."

Tzach, 45, married and father of four children, worked making deliveries with a truck. He was returning from Tiberias and stopped to swim with the sharks. Investigators are examining whether he tried to feed them. He had a bicycle in his truck, which he took down to the beach. Police found the bicycle and his bag, which is how they identified him.

On Monday afternoon, a report was received at Magen David Adom's emergency center about a man bitten by sharks at a beach in Hadera. Following the attack, police closed the beach for swimming until further notice. The beaches department of Hadera Municipality conducted searches using a jet ski to locate the person.

Amir, who was at the beach, said, "I heard people shouting. I approached the area, and they said a shark had attacked a person who was swimming in the water. There was commotion, and they immediately called MADA. I saw some activity in the water, but I cannot say with certainty what it was. If it were a shark, then it's very frightening, and perhaps swimming should have been prohibited at this beach."

Shlomo, an eyewitness, said, "I went to the beach with friends. We were about to enter when suddenly we saw a person thrashing in the water. We saw him struggling with a shark and trying to escape. The shark attacked him and caught him by the neck. We saw all the blood. It was difficult to watch. A very disturbing sight. It was chilling, really frightening. We actually saw how the shark attacked him. I don't understand why they don't close a beach that has sharks. That could easily have been me. All my friends are traumatized."

Another eyewitness at the beach said, "They called for him to come out, but he didn't respond. Of course he's missing; the shark devoured him. I don't believe they'll find him."

The post Israel's deadly shark attack claims life of father of 4 appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

The Israel Police delivered a statement Tuesday regarding the search for the diver who was attacked by a shark in Hadera. According to the statement, the National Special Rescue Unit's divers discovered remains and evidence in the search area. These findings will be transferred to relevant professionals for further analysis.

"As you can see, we are now on the second day of searching. We are sparing absolutely no resources. The Police Commissioner has instructed us to deploy all available forces to assist with the search effort. Several findings have been sent for examination, and we are awaiting the results. Our primary goal is to bring closure to the family. We will continue our efforts until we locate the missing person," the Israel Police spokesperson said.

Video: Shark attacks swimmer off the coast of Hadera. Credit: Usage under Israel's Intellectual Property Law Article 27(a)

Following the statement, 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. I sincerely hope we have indeed found the diver who was attacked by the sharks."

The 40-year-old diver from central Israel disappeared Monday after being attacked while diving. Search operations were suspended during the night and resumed at first light the following morning.

The post After 36 hours: Remains found in Hadera shark attack case appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

At 3:02 p.m., a call was received by Magen David Adom's 101 dispatch center in the Sharon region about a man who was bitten by a shark at a beach in Hadera. Paramedics and emergency teams have been searching the area, but the person reported injured has yet to be found.

Video: Shark attacks swimmer off the coast of Hadera /// Usage in accordance with Section 27a of the Copyright Law

Simultaneously, the Israel Police said: "A short time ago, officers from the Hadera Police Station and the Maritime Police were dispatched to the Hadera stream following reports from citizens who claimed they saw a shark attacking a diver in the water. Forces are en route, but no casualties have been located so far."

Following the incident, the police have closed the beach to swimmers until further notice.

The Hadera Municipality's Beach Division has launched search efforts using jet skis to locate the diver. The municipality is urging the public to avoid entering the water and to refrain from interacting with the sharks.

"It was clear this would happen in Israel"

Reports of the shark attack have prompted all marine researchers in the area to rush to the scene to investigate. Experts caution that the circumstances of the incident remain unclear.

Still, professionals in the field of shark and large marine life research told Israel Hayom, "It was absolutely clear that something like this would happen in Israel. It was discussed just yesterday among researchers. Despite all the warnings and explanations that these animals must not be disturbed, many Israelis swam toward the sharks, petted them, and even swam around them holding fish. This behavior creates a classic situation for unhealthy contact with these predators, even with shark species that do not see humans as prey or seek contact with them. We must remember these are animals with significant attacking capabilities. That's why we continue to warn the public not to approach sharks in the Hadera area."

The sharks are drawn to Hadera's coastline due to warm water discharged from the Israel Electric Corporation's power station. The plant uses seawater to cool its turbines, and the heated water is released back into the sea, attracting the sharks.

Shark attacks in Israel: A rare phenomenon

Shark attacks in Israel are extremely rare. In 2013, a shark attack occurred after a shark was trapped inside a fish cage and lashed out in panic when people attempted to remove it. Before that, the only recorded incident was during the British Mandate period, when a police officer was attacked off the coast of Tel Aviv.

In 1974, a dangerous Mako shark attacked a German tourist in Eilat. The shark was captured the following day, and it was discovered that it had a disability that prevented it from hunting its usual prey, which likely led to the attack.

The post Shark attack in Hadera, search underway for missing swimmer appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

A 37-year-old Jordanian man was attacked by a shark Tuesday while paragliding in Jordan's Aqaba Gulf, a short distance from Eilat.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter

Video circulating on social media after the attack showed the shark bite into the man's leg as he hovered above the water. The victim was rescued within minutes and taken to a nearby hospital, where his leg was amputated.

A shark attack in the gulf is extremely rare, especially since large sharks rarely attack people, for it is not part of their natural diet.

Adi Barash, chair at Sharks in Israel environmental conservation organization, said that based on reports, it was most likely a shortfin mako shark, commonly found in Eilat waters.

"To date, we have identified 14 shark species in the Gulf of Eilat that live in the wild," she said. "Based on the shark's color and jump, it is most likely a mako shark, also known as the blue pointer. There are no known instances of such shark attacks in the Gulf of Eilat. It is incredibly rare. The last time something like this happened was 40 years ago."

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The post Rare shark attack recorded on Jordanian side of Gulf of Eilat appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.