Breaking· Security· Updated
Haifa Mayor Slams "True Alarm" After Severe Pollution Closes Schools
On Monday, October 12, 2026, Israel's Ministry of Environmental Protection and Ministry of Health ordered the closure and relocation of two schools in Kiryat Ata due to unusually high concentrations of benzene, a known carcinogen, detected near the Bazan oil refinery complex in Haifa Bay. According to Vesty, the pollution reached three times the permissible limit and was linked to repair work on facilities damaged during the recent conflict.
6 newsrooms · 3 languages · since
What happened
- 01Classes were canceled and relocated at two Kiryat Ata schools on Monday due to high levels of carcinogenic benzene near the Bazan oil refineries.
- 02According to Vesty, benzene levels reached three times the permissible limit and were linked to repairs on facilities damaged during the war.
- 03Residents within one kilometer of the refinery complex were advised to limit outdoor activities, especially children and pregnant women.
- 04The Ministry of Environmental Protection suspended maintenance work at the refinery pending an investigation and a preventative plan.
- 05Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav condemned the pollution as a true alarm and demanded that the government halt the polluting work.
- 06Mayor Yahav reiterated his demand for the closure of the oil refineries by 2029, stating residents are not second-class citizens.
- 07The Bazan refinery group pledged to cooperate with regulatory bodies and stated it employs advanced environmental technologies.
Authorities advised residents living within a one-kilometer radius of the refineries, particularly children and pregnant women, to limit outdoor activities. Workers in the industrial zone were instructed to close windows and use air conditioning. The Ministry of Environmental Protection ordered a halt to the maintenance work at the complex, demanding an investigation and a preventative plan before operations can resume. The Bazan refinery group stated it uses advanced environmental technologies and will cooperate with regulators.
Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav sharply criticized the government and the refinery complex, calling the situation an unbearable reality and a true alarm. Yahav demanded a full account from Bazan, strict government oversight, and the immediate cessation of the work causing the pollution until a full investigation is completed. He also reiterated his demand for the oil refineries to be shut down by 2029, stating that residents of the area are not second-class citizens.
Summarized by baba from the reports of 6 newsrooms. Updated
Latest report: Ice. Read Ice’s original
The coverage
6 newsrooms on this story
Who covered it
- LeftNone
- Centre2
- Right1
- HarediNone
- Arab1
- Other2
