Israel’s Health Ministry issued an immediate administrative closure order on Tuesday for the Aza sushi restaurant in the Mix complex, at 35 Zahal Street in Hadera. The order was signed by Dr. Marwa Matas, the district physician for Hadera, and requires the business to shut down completely at once, with a total ban on moving goods in or out.
The ministry’s report described severe sanitary neglect, structural and operational failures, and said the conditions “seriously and immediately endanger public health” and create a real risk that eating there could harm diners right away. The order also said the restaurant is operating without a legal business license.
Inspectors found a long list of violations in the kitchen and storage areas. Cockroaches were seen coming freely through an incomplete open drywall partition between the washing station and the hot line. The suppliers’ entrance was heavily soiled with pigeon feathers and droppings, and the kitchen ceiling was open and not sealed against pests. Food handling was also badly compromised, with ready-to-eat chicken wings and noodles stored beside raw meat thawing in a bowl with noodles, and raw chicken breast and raw meat placed next to fried chicken wings without basic separation between work areas or between meat and poultry.
The thawing refrigerator for poultry was malfunctioning and measured 16 degrees Celsius instead of controlled refrigeration. Poultry and fish, including salmon, had been thawing for a long time with no record of thawing dates or preparation dates for salads and sauces. The municipal veterinarian destroyed part of the stock on site and ordered the dirty refrigerator destroyed as well.
The most serious danger was found in the sushi display area, where raw fish should be kept at up to 2 degrees Celsius. Fresh salmon and tuna were measured at 15 degrees, and baked salmon at 21 degrees, conditions that promote rapid growth of dangerous bacteria and toxins. The closure order will remain in effect for 30 days, police were instructed to ensure the restaurant is shut immediately, and the owners can present their arguments at a formal hearing at the Hadera district health office on Wednesday, June 24, 2026.
