Failed search for dummy shells underscores clearance difficulty
Israeli researchers are testing new methods to locate and remove unexploded grenades, mortars, and other munitions from the Mediterranean Sea in a project aimed at reopening part of the coastline near the central city of Rishon Lezion to the public.
On a June dive, a team of researchers spent hours combing the Mediterranean seabed in search of yellow-painted mock mortar shells they had planted months earlier. The divers surfaced empty-handed, unable to find the dummy munitions. It was the team’s fifth diving trip in the yearslong experiment.
“It’s really hard to find things in the sea,” said Roy Jaijel, a researcher in the marine geology and geophysics department at Israel’s National Institute of Oceanography, as he emerged from a dive.
The project is part of wider efforts by Israel to clear unexploded ordnance from the seafloor and return the beach area to residents. The failed search for the planted dummy shells foreshadowed the challenges that lie ahead for the operation.