Israeli PM inspects polluted beach after oil spill

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday visited a beach affected by an oil spill that's threatening the country's southern coastline and wildlife.As he toured the area, Netanyahu said he had spoken to Egypt's energy minister, who's in Israel at the moment, and discussed how using natural gas in future could help avoid such incidents.

It's unclear how the spill happened, but stormy weather earlier this week is believed to have pushed the pollutants ashore.The oil has left black streaks along Israel's Mediterranean coastline, from the northern city of Haifa down to Ashkelon near Gaza.

Israel's Nature and Parks Authority has urged people to stay away from beaches at 16 communities that are most polluted.On Saturday, hundreds of volunteers took part in a cleanup operation. Several were reported to have been taken to hospital after inhaling fumes.