A Look at the Deadly Shark Attack on an Israeli Diver off the Mediterranean Coast of Hadera, Palestine
Abdel Fattah N. Abd Rabou *
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Islamic University of Gaza, P.O.Box 108, Gaza Strip, Palestine.
Maha F. Gafar
Department of Laboratory Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Al-Aqsa University, Gaza Strip, Palestine.
Aliaa M. Mohanna
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Islamic University of Gaza, P.O.Box 108, Gaza Strip, Palestine.
Aysha A. Rafeea
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Islamic University of Gaza, P.O.Box 108, Gaza Strip, Palestine.
Rola I. Jadallah
Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Arab-American University. P.O Box 240 Jenin, 13 Zababdeh, Jenin, Palestine.
Asmaa A. Abd Rabou
Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Islamic University of Gaza, Gaza Strip, Palestine.
Ola A. Abd Rabou
Department of Smart Systems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Islamic University of Gaza, Gaza Strip, Palestine.
Reem A. Shaladan
Department of Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Islamic University of Gaza, Gaza Strip, Palestine.
Rimel M. Benmessaoud
National Institute of Agronomy of Tunisia, 43Av. Charles Nicolle, Tunis 1082, Tunisia.
Mourad M. Cherif
National Institute of Marine Sciences and Technologies (INSTM), La Goulette Port, Tunis, Tunisia.
Afef O Fathalli
Institut National Des Sciences et Technologie de la Mer (INSTM), Port de Pêche 2060 La Goulette, Tunisia.
Nader Ben Hadj Hamida
Institut National Des Sciences et Technologie de la Mer (INSTM), P.O. Box 1035, Sfax 3018, Tunisia.
Olfa Ben Abdallah
Institut National Des Sciences et Technologie de la Mer (INSTM), P.O. Box 1035, Sfax 3018, Tunisia.
Mokhtar S. Beheary
Department of Environmental Sciences, Port Said University, Port Said 42526, Egypt.
Hashem A. Madkour
Department of Marine and Environmental Geology, National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Red Sea Branch, 84511 Hurghada, Egypt.
Fatma A. Madkour
Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, South Valley University, Qena 83523, Egypt.
Mohammed A. Abd Rabou
Department of GIS, University College of Applied Sciences, Gaza Strip, Palestine.
Othman A. Abd Rabou
Department of Journalism and Media, Islamic University of Gaza, Gaza Strip, Palestine.
Hala R Al-Harazeen
Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts, Al-Aqsa University, Gaza Strip, Palestine.
Wajdi M. Saqallah
Department of Marine Sciences, Faculty of Science, Islamic University of Gaza, Gaza Strip, Palestine.
Sameeh M. Awadalah
Department of Marine Sciences, Faculty of Science, Islamic University of Gaza, Gaza Strip, Palestine.
Mohammed R. Al-Agha
Department of Marine Sciences, Faculty of Science, Islamic University of Gaza, Gaza Strip, Palestine.
Daoud I. Al-Hali
The Comprehensive School, Jerusalem (Al-Quds), Palestine.
Norman A. Khalaf
Department of Environmental Research and Media, National Research Center, University of Palestine, Gaza, Palestine.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The Mediterranean Sea is home to a considerable number of shark species, some of which have posed a threat to humans. The hot waters discharged from the Hadera (Orot Rabin) power plant in northwestern Palestine attract schools of two large coastal shark species: Dusky Sharks (Carcharhinus obscurus Lesueur, 1818) and Sandbar Sharks (Carcharhinus plumbeus Nardo, 1827) every year from November to May. On Monday, April 21, 2025, a 45-year-old Israeli diver was fatally attacked by sharks off the Mediterranean coast of Hadera. The present descriptive study aims to shed light on this rare deadly incident. The study relied on collecting the necessary data through monitoring websites, news, and social media platforms. The Mediterranean coast of Hadera is characterized by a fascinating phenomenon that attracts many beachgoers, as they approach the shallow and warm waters dominated by predatory sharks. Several possible reasons for the shark attack on the Israeli diver have been listed, including the diver's attempt to feed the shark dead fish for filming, the smell of bleeding fish the diver may have been carrying on his belt, mistaken identity of the sharks, the shark's ability to detect the diver's subtle electrical impulses, the diver's possible sudden movements, loud noises, and frantic swimming that attracted the sharks, behavioral changes in the sharks due to human harassment, curiosity and confusion of the shark, hunger and starvation the sharks may have been suffering from, etc. The incident received unprecedented media coverage locally, regionally, and internationally, and sparked widespread interaction on social media platforms. Many Arab posts praised the shark for carrying out the attack, amid the fierce, destructive, and bloody war Israel has been waging against the Gazans since October 7, 2023. To prevent this incident from happening again, there is a need to manage the Mediterranean coast of Hadera in a way that is safe for humans and sharks.
Keywords: Fatal shark attack, attack causes, Dusky Shark, Carcharhinus obscurus, Sandbar Shark, Carcharhinus plumbeus, Hadera coast, Hadera power plant, Mediterranean Sea, Palestine