The spill was discovered after a large amount of tar started washing onto Israel’s coastal sands after a storm, ultimately covering most of the country’s beaches. The tar was still washing up six months after the oil leak.
Suspected Oil Spill Detected Off Netanya Coast
by JNS.org
Israel’s Netanya beachfront. Photo: Flickr.
JNS.org – A suspected spill has been detected around 20 kilometers (12 miles) off the coast of Netanya, Israel’s Environmental Protection Ministry said on Tuesday, though Minister of Environmental Protection Tamar Zandberg stressed it was not confirmed.
“Currently, there are no concrete findings indicating the existence of an oil spill off the coast of Israel,” she said Wednesday afternoon. “We are currently hoping for the best and preparing for the worst.”
The ministry was first informed of the suspected spill by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), which said that it spotted the issue via satellite. However, the ministry was unable to detect it. Late Tuesday, the Defense Ministry dispatched a reconnaissance flight that did spot it.
The Environmental Protection Ministry now said that it is conducting a closer inspection to determine the severity of the incident. It has released no other details.
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Israel suffered a massive oil spill in February last year.
