Port Insights | Ashkelon Port has been closed due to the escalation of Israel-Palestine conflict

This article is about 500 words, and the estimated reading time is about 3-4 minutes  

According to foreign media reports, as of October 22nd, the latest round of the Israel-Palestine conflict has resulted in over 5,800 casualties on both sides. On the 21st, local time, Israeli airstrikes against Hamas were still ongoing, and Hamas retaliated in kind. This has led to the closure of the nearest port to Gaza, Ashkelon Port. As the conflict continues and potential risks expand, the backlog of ships at Israeli ports is increasing, and war insurance rates are surging.

E-PORTS has learned that certain shipping companies have implemented measures to address the issues arising from the ongoing conflict:

1. A South Korean shipping company announced the imposition of a War Risk Surcharge (WRS) for cargo transportation to Israel, effective from October 18, as communicated to their customers.

2. An Israeli container shipping company also declared the collection of additional fees, specifically a War Risk Surcharge (WRS), starting from October 12.

3. A domestic shipping company announced that due to force majeure, its vessels are unable to proceed to the planned destination of Ashdod Port in Israel and have implemented a diversion plan to dock in Haifa instead.

To learn about the developments at ports within Israel, you can visit the E-PORTS official website (www.e-ports.com)and check the Port Guide. 

Ashdod Port is Israel's second-largest port, located in the city of Ashdod, 40 kilometers south of the capital, Tel Aviv. It primarily handles the import and export of containers, general cargo, and bulk cargo.

The port is enclosed by two breakwaters, with one measuring 2,200 meters in length and the other 900 meters in length.

The port area features 8 primary quays with a total shoreline length of 1,370 meters and a maximum water depth of 12 meters. This includes container and roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) berths. The port is equipped with various shore cranes, grab cranes, floating cranes, container cranes, forklifts, and Ro-Ro facilities, with the floating cranes having a maximum lifting capacity of up to 80 tons.

The port has covered storage areas of 40,000 square meters, open-air storage areas of 20,000 square meters, and an open-air yard covering an area of 184,000 square meters.

Current Port Status: Due to the closure of Ashkelon Port, there has been an increased influx of vessels diverting to dock at Ashdod Port. Additionally, the congestion situation at Ashdod Port is worsening, exacerbated by the Israel-Palestine conflict.

If you have upcoming requirements to call at the Israel region, E-PORTS can provide you with the best route planning solutions, including port calling services and port change services.

Register and log in to the E-PORTS official website (www.e-ports.com) to access global port guide information anytime, anywhere. E-PORTS' dedicated customer service team will tailor route planning services, port agency services, and more, always ready to assist each customer with any concerns.

If you require vessel schedule inquiries, booking consultations, port information inquiries, or sea freight rate consultations, you can add E-PORTS online customer service on WeChat, and we will be wholeheartedly at your service!