Jerusalem, 12 October, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israel’s Ministry of Environmental Protection has ordered the immediate suspension of maintenance operations at the Gadiv plant within the BAZAN Oil Refineries complex in Haifa Bay following elevated benzene readings detected on October 10.
Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman and Ministry Director General Rami Rosen conducted an emergency site inspection, warning that full enforcement powers will be used if violations are confirmed. The Ministry mandated that BAZAN submit a comprehensive incident investigation and an emission prevention plan featuring real-time monitoring controls as a mandatory condition for resuming maintenance.
Following joint evaluations with the Ministry of Health, air quality levels across all regional monitoring stations have returned to normal, allowing local schools to resume regular operations. To ensure ongoing public safety, mobile air monitoring stations have been deployed near educational institutions in the industrial zone.
