Israel closes its Mediterranean beaches after an oil spill – world

Israel closed its Mediterranean beaches to visitors on Sunday after a serious oil spill. Citizens were urged not to go swimming or to play sports on the beach.

 The  environmental pollution could endanger health, it said to explain.

In the past few days, an oil spill had wreaked havoc on Israel’s beaches.

 The  animal world was particularly hard hit, with numerous marine animals such as turtles covered in a black, sticky film. A young fin whale was washed up lifeless on the beach.

Volunteers complained of discomfort after cleaning

According to Israeli media reports, dozens of tons of oil had spilled into the sea off Israel’s coast.

 The  reason was initially unclear. Thousands of volunteers helped clean up the beaches over the weekend. However, according to media reports, several of them later complained of malaise. Schaul Goldstein, chairman of the Israeli nature and parks authority, spoke of the worst natural disaster in years.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the beach near the port city of Ashdod on Sunday. He said the environment ministry would work out a plan to clean up the beaches. In talks with its southern neighbor, Egypt, it was suggested that ships in the Mediterranean should be equipped with environmentally friendly fuel in the future. “When several countries work together, we can make a big change in a few years, keeping the sea, land and beaches clean.”