Israel said on Sunday that 17 beaches are safe for the public to visit after a devastating oil spill in the Mediterranean last month, which polluted most of its coastline.
In a joint statement, the ministries of environmental protection, health and interior said that the cleaning of some beaches has been completed and samples taken from the water indicated that they are safe for water sports. The authorities warned, however, that large amounts of tar can still reach the beaches that have been cleared.
The beaches declared safe are: Galei Galil North of Nahariya; The beaches of Argaman and Tmarim, in Acre; The beaches of Bat Galim, Hof HaCarmel and Dado Zamir in Haifa; The beaches of Nof Yam and HaSharon in Herzliya; Tel Baruch South beach in Tel Aviv; Ashdod Lido, Oranim, Keshatot, Riviera beaches; North Dalila, South Dalila and Ashkelon beaches in Ashkelon National Park; and Zikim beach at the Hof Ashkelon regional council.
Get the daily edition of The Times of Israel by email and never miss our main news.
All other beaches remained banned, the ministries emphasized.
The authorities also noted that the bathing season had not yet officially started and that swimming in areas without lifeguard services was prohibited.
It is estimated that more than 1,000 tonnes of tar fell on Israel’s Mediterranean coast last month, causing extensive environmental damage and forcing the beaches to close to the public. The Israel Nature and Parks Authority has classified the incident as one of Israel’s worst environmental disasters. Cleaning should take months.
Pieces of tar from an oil spill in the Mediterranean Sea were taken to a beach at the Gdor Nature Reserve near Michmoret, Israel, on March 1, 2021. The cleanup of the disastrous oil spill that has darkened most of the country’s coast must last for months. (AP Photo / Ariel Schalit)
On Wednesday, the Ministry of Environmental Protection identified the ship it believes to be responsible for the February 1 oil spill as the Panamanian flag tanker, previously owned by Libya, called Emerald, which carried Iranian oil.
The investigation determined that the ship was smuggling oil from Iran to Syria when the spill occurred in early February.
Israel’s environmental protection minister said the oil spill was an intentional attack by Iran, but did not provide evidence for his claim.
Ministry officials investigating the incident said it was not clear whether the leak was deliberate or accidental, but said they had received no warning about the incident until the tar began to be washed off the coast.
Defense officials remained silent over the accusation of Gila Gamliel, a junior minister in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party.
But according to a Channel 12 report on Thursday night, the security establishment has so far found no evidence of the allegation that the leak was deliberate “environmental terrorism”.
