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Authorities warned of continued efforts to clean up Israeli shores due to a mysterious oil spill, without proper personal protective equipment, at a time when volunteers are working to remove oil deposits.
According to The Guardian, several civilian volunteers who were working to clean the beaches of the tar from the leak were hospitalized for reasons believed to have inhaled toxic gases.
Describing the scale of the disaster, one volunteer says, “The cleanup process can take decades.”
Israel has yet to announce the causes of the oil spill or its source, meanwhile researchers are using satellite imagery to search for many ships that are likely the source of this environmental disaster, which stretches over the 195 km Israeli coastline. length.
But reports of the discovery of oil sands on the beaches of southern Lebanon raised fears of further damage.
Environmentalists have warned of a real disaster after baby turtles and fish were found covered in black sediment.
The head of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, Shaul Goldstein, said it was “the worst environmental disaster in a decade”, at a time when the Minister of Environmental Protection, Gila Gamliel, announced that the cleanup would cost millions to the condition. of dollars.
The minister said Israel is studying the prosecution of the ship insurance company responsible for this pollution, noting that 9 ships that were in the area at the time of the accident are being verified.
Gamliel added: “It is our moral duty to determine who was responsible for the accident.”
However, The Guardian said the country may already have a good idea who is responsible for the leak, but would prefer to delay its announcement due to diplomatic sensitivities.
On Monday, an Israeli judge issued an order prohibiting the release of any information related to the investigation, including details identifying the suspects in this catastrophic leak.
The Israeli government hopes to reopen the beaches to the people by next March, once they are safe.
And official authorities urged people to avoid beaches for bathing, sports and fun until further notice.
“Exposure to tar could threaten the health of the public,” said a joint statement from various ministries.
