Israel holds Iran responsible for the oil spill that stained beaches with a tar-like substance last month. Environmental Protection Minister Gila Gamliel said the issue is being treated as a terrorist incident.
Earlier in the day, she announced that the ship responsible for the oil spill had been tracked down. It is said to have sailed about fifty kilometres from the coast on 11 February.
The Libyan-flagged ship that had departed from Iran would have polluted the water ‘deliberately’, Gamliel said. ‘Iran is carrying out acts of terror by carrying out attacks on the environment,’ he said.
According to Greenpeace and others, this is the biggest environmental disaster in the country’s history. Dozens of tonnes of oil flowed into the sea, after which the Israeli beaches were flooded with tar. Many animals were affected by the oil residue. The clean-up could take years. The army is helping volunteers with the clean-up, an operation that will take a long time.
This oil spill is another tragic reminder that we need to end the age of oil and embrace a 100% renewable energy future.https://t.co/q0tV2qjqDa
— Greenpeace (@Greenpeace) February 27, 2021
Also read: Israel expands list of ships suspected of causing environmental disaster
Source: ANP
Picture: Oil sheen on water (by Massachusetts Dept. of Environmental Protection).
