The Environmental Protection Ministry ruled out Wednesday the threat of an oil spill off the coast of Netanya after it detected a maritime stain the day before.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
"Currently, there are no concrete findings indicating the existence of an oil spill off the coast of Israel," Environmental Protection Minister Tamar Zandberg said.
The ministry was first informed of the suspected spill by the European Maritime Safety Agency, which said that it spotted the issue via satellite. Late Tuesday, the Defense Ministry dispatched a reconnaissance flight to gather more information. The R/V Bat-Galim deep-sea research ship took samples on Wednesday and sprayed dispersants into the water, according to The Times of Israel.
Zandberg shut down the "tier-3" national incident that was declared on Tuesday, stating that all ships and marine vessels investigating the incident will return to shore. The ministry will continue to monitor the situation.
The ministry has not disclosed details on the origina and nature of the spill at this time.
Tuesday's event occurred almost exactly a year after a massive oil spill contaminated Israel's Mediterranean coast with tar and took a heavy toll on wildlife, considered the country's worst natural disaster in decades. The tar was still washing up six months after the oil leak.
JNS.org and i24NEWS contributed to this report.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
