From Nitzanim, near the Gaza Strip, to the coast of Lebanon, 106 miles of the Mediterranean coast were covered with tar.
Pollution was first noticed on Wednesday, but the storm the next day took the oil and tar to Israel’s beaches.
Thousands of volunteers organized by various Israeli non-governmental environmental organizations (NGOs) have joined efforts to clean up the beaches and save injured animals. A whale came ashore and died; dozens of sea turtles died.
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The Ministry of Environmental Protection said on Saturday it was informed by the European Maritime Safety Agency that an oil spill located about 30 miles off the coast of Israel was the source of the pollution. They rejected all reports that Israel had any prior knowledge of the spill before reaching the coast.
Israeli soldiers wearing protective clothing clean the tar off a beach after an oil spill in the Mediterranean Sea at Sharon Beach Nature Reserve, near Gaash, Israel, Monday, February 22, 2021. (AP Photo / Ariel Schalit)
((AP Photo / Ariel Schalit))
In an unusual move, an Israeli judge issued an order of silence about the investigations and any details related to it, including the names or identities of the suspects, the ships involved and the destination and port of departure.
Maya Jacobs, CEO of Zalul, an Israeli NGO that protects the country’s seas and streams, called for the removal of the order of silence and the conduct of a transparent investigation.
“The companies that cause environmental risks, like oil and shipping companies, have a big influence on the Israeli government,” she said.
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Israeli President Ruvi Rivlin visited Herzeliya beach to see the damage caused by the spill.
“What we see here is a monstrosity and a headache,” said the president when he saw the polluted beach. “These views are a wake-up call. It is a national duty that we should not neglect. This is the only way to protect the future of our children and grandchildren so that they live in a safe, clean and unpolluted environment.”
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Yehoshua Shkedy, the chief scientist at the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, warned that the leak caused unprecedented damage to the ecosystem, and cleanup efforts will take years.
Yonat Friling is a senior field producer at Fox News’ Middle East office. Follow her on Twitter @Foxyonat.