The mystery surrounding a powerful gas-like odor that spread across the Israeli city of Rishon LeZion over the past two days has reportedly been solved, after emergency crews discovered fuel and oil waste dumped into the municipal sewage system.

The foul smell, which affected large parts of the city, prompted thousands of complaints from residents, with many reporting burning sensations in their eyes and throats, nausea, and difficulty breathing.

Two women were evacuated to Shamir Medical Center (Assaf Harofeh) after experiencing shortness of breath, while other residents reported vomiting among children.

Following two days of extensive searches, firefighters, Home Front Command personnel, environmental officials, and municipal workers located an open sewage manhole in an industrial area in western Rishon LeZion.

Investigators discovered fuel contamination in the sewage system, believed to have resulted from the illegal dumping of large quantities of fuel and oil waste. The substances apparently mixed with sewage, triggering a chemical reaction that released the powerful odor.

The smell spread through underground sewage pipes and was carried across the city by changing winds, making it particularly difficult for emergency crews to identify its source.

Despite widespread concerns about a possible gas leak or hazardous chemical incident, monitoring conducted by emergency teams found no dangerous concentrations of toxic gases or hazardous substances.

Authorities are now conducting extensive cleaning of the affected sewage infrastructure, while environmental officials continue testing to rule out additional sources of contamination.

A police investigation has also been launched, with investigators reviewing security camera footage in an effort to identify those responsible for dumping the waste.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)