A senior official in the Israeli maritime industry told the Israeli publication “The Marker” that the threats of what it called the “Al-Houthis” to Israeli ships or those heading towards Israel are exacerbating the problem on multiple levels and have high insurance implications, according to a senior official in the Israeli shipping industry.
Exclusive translation – Al-Khabar Al-Yemeni:
According to Gideon Golbar, the Executive Director of the Eilat Port, “the main port directly affected by the Al-Houthi threat is the Eilat port,” where activity has reduced by almost 80%, the Hebrew newspaper clarified.
It also pointed out that the Sana’a threat has affected the Israeli shipping company “ZIM,” which announced about two weeks ago that it would redirect its ships from the Suez Canal and not pass through the African continent, which would extend the shipping route by about three weeks.
Shaul Schneider, the CEO of the Ashdod Port, explained that “ZIM’s announcement means that consumers will pay more,” while also expecting that the direct threat may extend from Eilat to the ports of Ashdod and Haifa, according to The Marker.
Head of the Israeli Shipping Bureau, Yoram Ziba, stressed that this would result in a shortage of products and a significant increase in prices by tens of percent for many products, in the world of cars, fashion, electricity, furniture, food, and so on. “The threat by the Houthis to attack any ship carrying goods to and from Israel, even if it is not owned by Israel, is of great importance in everything related to the normal continuation of maritime operations,” Ziba added.
According to the “Israeli” newspaper, an attack by the Houthis on container ships (carrying consumer goods) would cause significant damage to international trade since it is operating on a circuit that passes through more ports. As a result, the government of the occupying force was urged to “formulate an immediate solution so that the Israeli economy is not exposed to serious damage.”
This morning, the Sana’a forces revealed the execution of a military operation targeting a ship that disregarded warnings and was sailing toward the occupation entity. The attack targeted the Norwegian ship “Estrinda,” which was carrying oil and sailing toward the Israeli entity, according to Brigadier General Yahya Saree, the spokesman for the Sana’a forces.
He stated that this operation came as a “victory for the injustice of the Palestinian people, who are currently being subjected to killing, destruction, and siege in the Gaza Strip,” as well as a “response to the calls of the free people from the sons of our great Yemeni people and the people of our nation.”
Saree confirmed that Sana’a forces will not hesitate “to target any ship that violates the previous statements,” referring to the decision to prevent ships from crossing to the Israeli enemy, regardless of its nationality, unless Gaza and its residents are fully supplied with food and medicine.
The statement by Sana’a forces emphasized their commitment to “continuing to prevent all ships of all nationalities heading to Israeli ports from navigating in the Arabian and Red Seas until our steadfast brothers in the Gaza Strip receive the full provisions of food and medicine.”
جميع الحقوق محفوظة للخبر اليمني ٢٠٢١م