The beaches of Netanya and adjacent shores have been closed to the public and placed under guard because of thousands of lethal bomb detonators that have been washed ashore in recent days. The public has been warned that the small, plastic-coated objects which could cause severe injury may be imbedded in sand or floating in the surf over a wide area.
The Defense Ministry has set up a special committee to investigate the matter and report directly to the Defense Minister. But the cause is apparently known. The defense authorities discarded some 20,000 bomb detonators by dumping them into the sea two months ago, about 15 kilometers offshore.
Apparently the corrosive action of salt water fractured their containers and the detonators,. lighter than water, floated to the surface and were washed ashore. They are 3 inches long and 1 1/2 inches in diameter. People who frequent the beaches anywhere in the vicinity of Netanya have been warned to notify a lifeguard, policeman or civil defense guard if they find a detonator and not to touch it.
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