A probe into the most devastating environmental disaster yet in Israel ensues, but an Israeli official said the environmental minister should have just waited for results from the investigation before making a statement Wednesday.
Is This War?
The former Israeli intelligence official, who still conducts consultations for the government, said "it is not the portfolio of the environmental minister to start wars with Iran."
Israeli minister of environmental protection Gila Gamliel said Wednesday that the "pirate ship owned by a Libyan company" first filled up its storage with oil in the Persian Gulf then sailed off the coast of Syria.
Local news sites Thursday reported that Gamliel insisted the oil spill was an Iranian-linked terror attack on Israel.
The reports stated that in an interview with Israeli radio network Army Radio Thursday morning, Gamliel also challenged the defense department to immediately initiate an investigation into the "ecological weapon" that she believes Iran used to threaten Israel.
For the former Israeli intelligence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to his current consultation arrangement with the government, the accusation Wednesday shouldn't have been aired by Gamliel in the first place to prevent a full-blown war.
The matter has also raised concerns among Western leaders, sources with knowledge of the matter told Insider.
The sources said that U.S. President Joe Biden and European allies are concerned that silence on the part of Israeli leaders in higher positions could indicate preparations for retaliation.
Confusion as Probe Tracks Emerald
The ship in question, the Emerald, is listed in ship-tracking website MarineTraffic.com as owned by the General National Maritime Transport Co.
The company owns 22 vessels and is Libyan state-owned. However, the ship's ownership has reportedly changed recently.
According to the International Maritime Organization, which is run by the UN, the Emerald was obtained by Emerald Marine Ltd., a company registered in the Marshall Islands.
Answers from the two companies could be critical in further determining the Emerald's alleged involvement in the massive oil spill. However, the two companies have yet to respond to queries from news agencies.
Volunteers Race to Save Tar-Coated Animals
The oil spill has been going on since mid-February and has since coated Israel's shoreline with black tar that has harmed many land and sea animals.
Over the past days, thousands of volunteers have been trying to save animals that were coated with the sticky, dark tar. The shores are also being cleaned continuously to remove an estimated thousand-ton of tar from rocks and sea sand.
In photos from the scene where volunteers cleaned the affected areas, birds of different species, and turtles can be seen covered in black tar. Poisoning from the tar has killed at least one fin whale that was estimated to be 55 feet long.
