Israel's largest refinery expected to resume operations soon

Israel's largest refinery could soon resume operations after a rocket strike by Iran, with Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen expecting this to happen within a month, the Times of Israel reported on Wednesday.

The facility in Haifa was shut down on Sunday due to significant damage from the attack, which also resulted in the deaths of three refinery employees.

The refinery produces a large portion of Israel's civilian and military oil products. Jet fuel for fighter planes is also manufactured there.

According to media reports, the refinery processes around 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day, which accounts for approximately 80% of Israel's total production. The refinery is operated by the Israeli oil and petrochemical company Bazan.

The country's second refinery is also currently closed for maintenance but reportedly has sufficient fuel reserves to continue supplying the local economy, Cohen said.

The energy minister has not yet seen a need to tap into the country's emergency reserves.