Israel has told the International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds (IOPC) it has not been able to identify the source of a 1,000-tonne oil spill off its coast in February.

The statement marks a softening of the government's position earlier in the year, when then environmental protection minister Gila Gamliel said the 112,700-dwt aframax tanker Emerald (built 2002) was the prime suspect.