Parts of Ashdod Port were evacuated temporarily last Monday after irregular radioactivity was detected emanating from a shipping container on a Chinese flag ship.
According to a report, the container had arrived from China and experts from the Israel Atomic Energy Committee were also on the scene. Local Fire and Rescue Services teams were dispatched to classify the radioactive material, but it is yet unknown what exactly caused the radiation.
Port workers were instructed to clear out as a precaution by order of the authorities and were permitted to return to their jobs in mid-afternoon.
The Environmental Protection Agency ordered the container moved to an isolated area in the port, where experts planned to investigate the source of the radiation. After conducting tests, safety officials declared the container safe and allowed the port to return to normal operations.
The Ashdod Port authority said in a statement that operations had returned to normal after “minimal levels” of radioactivity had been identified.
Israeli ports have maintained a radiation monitoring system for some years, with the main aim being to prevent a “dirty bomb” attack in which explosives are mixed with radioactive materials.
