Animals
The monk seal Julia becomes a border crosser in the Middle East conflict
Julia, an endangered Mediterranean monk seal, rests on Tel Aviv beach. Now she has also made a detour to the blocked Gaza Strip. photo
© Ariel Shalit/AP
The seal was first sighted on the Israeli coast south of Tel Aviv almost three weeks ago. But now she has moved on.
A rare monk seal, which has kept Israelis in suspense for weeks, has now made a detour to the blockaded Gaza Strip. The female seal, christened Julia, has been sighted on a Gaza beach, the local fisheries association said. But fishermen would have brought them back to the sea quickly. The association appealed to all fishermen to let Julia swim unhindered.
The seal was first sighted on the Israeli coast south of the metropolis Tel Aviv almost three weeks ago. According to the Israel Conservation Agency, the animal was visibly exhausted at first, but then recovered well.
Since then, the cute seal has become a media star. Julia has popped up on various beaches along Israel’s coast, and animal rights activists have always tried to keep onlookers away from her.
According to the Israel Conservation Agency, the number of monk seals in the Mediterranean is currently estimated at 700, 400 of which live on the coasts of Cyprus, Greece and Turkey.
Israeli authorities had also posted instructions in Arabic on social media to Gaza residents on how to deal with the seal in the event of a visit. The Israeli broadcaster Kan reported that the security authorities in Israel had been informed by the Palestinian side about Julia’s excursion.
The Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas seized power in Gaza in 2007. Israel then tightened a blockade for the narrow coastal strip with a good two million inhabitants, which is supported by Egypt. The border between Gaza and Israel is extremely heavily guarded.