Oil spill from passing ship blackens Israel's Mediterranean shoreline

Volunteers gather to remove clumps of tar in cleanup effort that could take months or years, officials say

Israeli authorities are trying to find the ship responsible for an oil spill that drenched much of its Mediterranean shoreline with tar, an environmental blow that will take months or years to clean up, officials said.

Thousands of volunteers gathered on Sunday to remove clumps of sticky black refuse from the pale beaches. Israel's military said it was deploying thousands of soldiers to help with the effort. Authorities warned members of the public to keep their distance until further notice.