Cliff face collapses at a Herzliya beach; none reported hurt
Nature and Parks Authority notes area is regularly closed off to the public due to known danger of collapse, warns of similar dangers along the coast
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A section of a cliff at Herzliya’s Nof Yam (Sidna Ali) Beach collapsed on Saturday morning, prompting representatives of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority (INPA) to investigate.
There were no reports of injuries in the collapse.
The Nature and Parks Authority stressed that even before the collapse, the area was permanently closed off to the public due to the danger of such events.
The authority added that the danger of cliff collapses existed along a significant stretch of Israel’s coastline, from Palmachim near Ashkelon to Hadera. It warned the public to follow instructions and avoid any fenced-off areas.
Herzliya Mayor Yariv Fisher criticized the government following the collapse, saying he could be forced to shut down multiple beaches. He said the collapse was “not an isolated innocent” but the result of “years of them dragging their feet and failing to budget for the national coastal cliff protection plan.”
The mayor added: “We will not take a risk on human life. Without immediate steps by the state, and if no solution is found, we will be forced to consider closing sections of the coast. I call on the environmental protection minister and the Interior Ministry to reach agreements and solutions. It is a national responsibility — it must have a national solution. We will not wait for a disaster.”
In 2020, the state comptroller lambasted the country’s leadership for failing to act on a 2011 government decision that would prevent cliff collapses.
The 45 kilometers (28 miles) of coastal cliffs are suffering from natural erosion, as well as human-induced changes such as buildings and marinas.
Saturday’s incident was not the first cliff collapse at that specific Herzliya beach. In 2024, a 7,000-square-meter (23,000-square-foot) section of cliff to the north collapsed. No one was injured in that incident either.
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