From Nitzanim near the Gaza Strip to the shores bordering Lebanon, 106 kilometers of the Mediterranean coast are covered with tar.
The pollution was only noticed on Wednesday, but stormy weather the next day transported the oil and tar to Israel’s beaches.
Thousands of volunteers organized by various Israeli environmental NGOs (NGOs) took part in efforts to clean up the beaches and rescue the injured animals. A whale washes ashore and dies; dozens of sea turtles perished.
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The Ministry of Environmental Protection said on Saturday that the European Maritime Safety Agency had been informed that an oil spill about 30 km off Israel’s coast was the source of the pollution. They rejected all reports that Israel had prior knowledge of the spill before it reached the sea shores.
Israeli soldiers carry protective suits of clean tar from a beach to a Mediterranean oil spill in Sharon Beach Nature Reserve, near Gaash, Israel, on Monday, February 22, 2021. (AP Photo / Ariel Schalit)
((AP Photo / Ariel Schalit))
In an unusual move, an Israeli judge issued a restraining order on the investigations and any details about it, including the name or identity of the suspects, the vessels involved, destination and port of departure.
Maya Jacobs, CEO of Zalul, an Israeli non-governmental organization that protects the sea and streams of the country, called for the gag to be removed and a transparent investigation to be conducted.
“The companies that cause the environmental risks, such as petroleum and shipping companies, have a big impact on the Israeli government,” she said.
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Israeli President Ruvi Rivlin visited Herzeliya Beach to view the damage caused by the spill.
“What we see here is hurtful and sad,” the president said at the sight of the polluted beach. “These sights are a wake-up call. It is a national duty we must not neglect. It is the only way we can protect the future of our children and grandchildren so that they can live in a safe, clean and unpolluted environment. “
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Yehoshua Shkedy, chief scientist of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, warned that the leak had caused unprecedented damage to the ecosystem, and that the clean-up efforts would take years.
Yonat Friling is a senior producer at Fox News’ Middle Eastern bureau. Follow her on Twitter @Foxyonat.