Jackal Attack Near Sea of Galilee Leaves 11 Injured

Eleven people, including three minors, were bitten by jackals near Duga Beach on the Sea of Galilee, according to the article. Magen David Adom said the injured were taken to hospital in mild condition, and North Medical Center said all were treated, received the required vaccinations, and were discharged home, except for one patient who came later from another beach.

The Kinneret Cities Association said several jackals, apparently from the Al-Majrase area, reached the lake shore on Friday evening looking for food, as wildlife has recently been moving into towns and communities across Israel. Officials said the animals likely smelled food in the tents, began searching for it, and in the panic that followed, scratched and bit vacationers who were later treated at Poria Hospital and released.

The jackals were driven away from the beaches by inspectors and police. One injured girl was identified by her grandmother, Mira, as 12-year-old Elis, who had been sleeping in a tent when, at about 2 a.m., she suddenly screamed. Mira said, “We opened the light and saw her face bleeding with bite marks,” adding that the family fears she may need plastic surgery before her bat mitzvah in a month.

The Health Ministry and the Nature and Parks Authority warned that the incident involved exposure to an animal suspected of rabies. They said the suspected jackal has not yet been captured, and that those injured received preventive rabies treatment. The ministry urged anyone exposed to wild animals to report immediately to local health offices, or to urgent care at hospitals on weekends and evenings, and to wash bite or scratch areas with soap and water without delay. It also told pet owners to ensure their animals are vaccinated against rabies by law. Kinneret Cities Association chairman Yossi Naveh called for urgent action to reduce the local jackal population and to deploy night patrols during the summer.