Kuwait Bans Ships Carrying Goods to "Israel," Hamas Welcomes
Kuwaiti authorities issue a decision to ban the passage of commercial ships loaded with goods to and from occupied Palestine, as Hamas says the Kuwaiti step is in line with the country’s supporting position of the Palestinian cause.
The Kuwaiti Minister of Public Works Rana al-Fares issued Saturday a decision to ban the passage of commercial ships loaded with goods to and from "Israel" through Kuwaiti territorial waters.
"The ban includes all ships coming from other ports to unload part of their cargo in Kuwaiti ports whenever they are carrying any of the goods stipulated in the ban, with the intention of shipping them to and from occupied Palestine," mentioned Kuwaiti newspaper AlAnba.
According to local media, the ministerial decision is in accordance with a previous Emiri decree issued in 1957 that stipulated boycotting "Israel."
Hamas welcomes the Kuwaiti decision
For its part, the Hamas movement welcomed the Kuwaiti authorities' recent decision.
In a statement, the head of the movement's Media Office abroad, Hisham Qasem, said that the Kuwaiti decision "is in line with the country’s unwavering position in support of the Palestinian cause."
Qasem added that "Hamas hails such stances that highlight the Arab boycott of the Israeli occupation endorsed by the Arab League in the 1950s" and emphasizes the Kuwaiti policy towards Palestine.
"Kuwait has supported the Palestinian cause at political, diplomatic, and international levels," the official affirmed.
The head of the Hamas' Media Office abroad called on Arab and Islamic countries "to follow Kuwait’s footprints to isolate and boycott the Israeli occupation."
Kuwaiti officials and various civil society organisations have reiterated their opposition to normalization ties with the Israeli occupation and have repeatedly shown their support for the Palestinian cause.