Explosive sounds are a stressful thing on a normal day, and certainly during a time of war. The residents of Haifa were surprised to hear explosion sounds from the sea today during Shabbat. Now the source of the explosion is becoming clear: a controlled explosion by the police of a large explosive device in the water that was located near the beach by a lifeguard.
The police reported, "A bomb was found in the water near the Haifa beach. Police officers from the Haifa station and bomb disposal experts are on-site and are asking the public to stay away as much as possible. Haifa station police were called a short while ago to the beach near the Meridian Hotel, following a report of a large bomb in the water, which was discovered by a Haifa municipal lifeguard near the beach. They, along with city inspectors, began to evacuate the area in order to secure the scene."
The police described the operation: "Police bomb disposal experts began working at the scene in cooperation with the IDF and other forces and are asking the public to stay away within a radius of 2 kilometers to handle the item. They are preparing for a controlled detonation. The public is requested to avoid approaching the beach area near the Meridian Hotel on Haganah Street in Haifa and to follow the instructions of the police."
From the Haifa Municipality, it was reported: "For the public's information: Following the previous announcement, the source of the explosions heard in the last hour throughout the city is from a controlled detonation carried out by the Israel Police bomb disposal experts on the naval ordnance item that was found in the sea."