Israel: Greek oil tanker not involved in ecological disaster | Abroad

Earlier this month, tar washed up on the beaches between the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. It is a coastal strip approximately 160 kilometers long. An Israeli team carried out a “thorough investigation” on board the Greek tanker but found nothing. The owner of the Minerva Helen had already pointed out that he had nothing to do with the situation in Israel.

The Israeli Minister of the Environment immediately announced that the search for the perpetrators was continuing. “We are doing everything we can to find the criminal.” The ship or tanker responsible for the environmental disaster may have been about 50 kilometers from the coast on February 11.

Authorities initially identified around ten vessels that may have been involved, but have now significantly expanded that list. In collaboration with European organizations, Israel also wants to look at satellite images to identify the ship from which the oil and tar were leaked. According to the Minister of the Environment, Gila Gamliel, there is “a more than reasonable chance that the vessel in question can be mapped”.

Thousands of volunteers and soldiers are busy cleaning up beaches and saving animals. According to environmental organizations, everything can take years to clean up.