Hordes of Israelis descended on the beach in the southern city of Ashkelon Tuesday night and Wednesday morning for a chance to purloin some loot from several shipping containers that fell overboard a cargo ship and washed ashore.
The action concentrated in two main locales — three containers chock-full of plastic products, such as pacifiers, disposable utensils, baby bottles, etc., that washed up on the city’s southern shore; and another container with electrical appliances, wrapped gifts and even jewelry that has washed up on the northern beach.
Thousands of Israelis descend upon Ashkelon coast to plunder a beached shipping container
(Video: Tal Shimoni, Matan Tzuri, Yossi Partouk)
“Collecting this is a mitzvah. Either it’ll all go to waste or pollute the ocean, so it’s better we take it,” one industrious civilian told Ynet as he kept drawing goods from the water.
“There’s some really good stuff here, it’ll be a shame if it all goes to waste. Many people here took stuff home but also gave some to charity. There’s also cleaning supplies here like detergents, brooms, sponges and rags."
The shipping company that owns the containers has yet to arrive at the scene to retrieve them and the goods from the water.
“This is a scandal. Where are the owners? What do they think will happen to these containers while they're here?” lamented another civilian.
“Of course they’ll get looted. They caused some serious damage, so let them come and fix it.”
Meanwhile, dozens of school students and volunteers from around the area arrived at the beach to help with the cleaning.
The foreign ship from which the containers fell was waiting in the middle of the stormy sea to enter the port of Ashdod. As a result of the inclement weather, nine containers detached from the ship and fell into the water, some of which are still being searched for.