Jerusalem, 21 October, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Haifa Municipality has summoned the management of BAZAN Oil Refineries for a hearing and is considering ordering the company to halt operations following an unusually high benzene pollution incident that prompted school closures in nearby Kiryat Ata, Israeli media reported Wednesday.
The hearing for the management of three BAZAN Group facilities is scheduled for Sunday. The municipality is weighing whether to issue a shutdown order and refuse to renew temporary business permits set to expire at the end of October.
The latest incident, recorded on October 11–12, follows a series of environmental incidents involving the industrial complex. Haifa Municipality has the authority to issue business licenses to companies operating within city limits, including BAZAN, although the extent of its legal power to force a shutdown remains unclear.