Lebanese accuse: "Israel is to blame for tar pollution" Israel today

Hassan Diab, who holds the country's environmental portfolios and is temporarily its head, has asked UNIFIL to open an investigation • "Waiting for developments"

• Hassan Diab blames Israel

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  IPI

The caretaker Prime Minister of Lebanon, Hassan Diab, last night (Monday) accused Israel of polluting the beaches.

He also asked UNIFIL to open an investigation and look into aid to deal with the serious pollution. Diab also holds the country's defense and environment files, saying: "I am following the developments."

The head of the Greenpeace organization in the Middle East and North Africa, Julian Gerissati, said that "the Ministry of the Environment is required to start immediately with measures, such as building a plan to assess the damage."

He added: "Authorities must create a rapid program that will reduce harm to the environment and public health."

The last time the beaches of the land of cedars were damaged in this way was during the Second Lebanon War.

On July 14 and 15, 2006, the Jaya power plant was bombed, causing some 30,000 tons of oil to leak into the sea.

This led the UN General Assembly to approve a non-binding majority decision in December 2014 calling on Israel to compensate Lebanon with $ 856.4 million.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Environmental Protection announced yesterday that Judge Dr. Ziad Fallah of the Magistrate's Court in Haifa imposed a restraining order on the ongoing investigation into the pollution issue. Departure and destination ports, cargo and shipping lanes, valid until February 28.