'Environmental Terrorism': Israeli Leader Says Iran Behind Oil Spill that Stained Israel's Coast

JERUSALEM, Israel – Israeli leaders say Iran is responsible for a devastating oil spill in the Mediterranean Sea last month that polluted Israel’s beaches and sent several people to the hospital.

Gila Gamliel, Israel’s Environmental Protection Minister, said the oil spill was an act of “environmental terrorism” orchestrated by Iran. She said a Libyan “pirate ship” that sailed from Iran spilled tons of crude oil into the sea, resulting in what has been described as Israel’s worst ecological disaster in years.

More than 90% of Israel's 120-mile Mediterranean coastline was coated in more than 1,000 tons of black tar, shutting down beaches and forcing a ban on the sale of seafood from the Mediterranean.

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She believes the ship dumped the oil about 40 miles off of Israel’s coast on Feb 1 or 2 and is currently docked in Iran.

Gamliel, a member of Netanyahu’s Likud party, provided no evidence for her claims or details about the Libyan company that owns the ship or Iran’s alleged involvement in the matter. She said at a press conference that Israel “will sue for compensation.”

Senior security officials disputed Gamliel’s retelling of events in a report on Israel’s Channel 13 News.

The officials said Israel’s defense establishment “does not share this assessment.” The network also reported that neither the Mossad intelligence agency nor other defense agencies were involved in producing Gamliel’s conclusion.

Rani Amir, who leads the naval unit in Gamliel’s ministry, also cast doubt on Gamliel’s repeated accusation that the leak was undoubtedly intentional. Instead, he said it could have been terrorism or an accident.

Israel’s Kan public broadcaster cited an unnamed senior security official who said it does not appear that Iran is involved.

The extent of the oil spill’s impact on the ecosystem has yet to be fully assessed and the cleanup will likely take months.