Yemeni threats disrupt 85% of Eilat port’s profits: Port Director

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli Media
11 Dec 2023 06:25
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The Director of the Port of Eilat discusses the losses incurred attributing them to threats from Yemen that aim to obstruct ships from reaching "Israel" through the Arabian Sea and the Red Sea.

This photo released by the Ansar Allah Media Center shows Ansar Allah escorting the cargo ship Galaxy Leader on Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023. (AP)

The Director General of the Port of Eilat, Gideon Golber, confirmed, according to Sputnik reports which cited Israeli Channel 13, that Yemen's threat of Israeli-bound ships had "disrupted 80% to 85% of the port’s profits."

In this context, Channel 13 further reported, in a report, that “the volume of imports coming from the East to Israel is estimated at approximately 350 billion shekels, equivalent to 95 billion dollars annually.”

The channel added, "Changing the maritime navigation route will raise the prices of imported products by an estimated 3%, which would increase the financial burden on the Israelis by about ten and a half billion shekels, or about 3 billion dollars."

Moreover, the Israeli Army Radio quoted Golber as saying that the Yemeni threat to the Red Sea maritime routes "led to the loss of the port by about 14,000 cars from the middle of last month until today.”

The port director further explained that "Israel fears that the closure of Bab al-Mandab to the movement of merchant vessels to Israel through the Red Sea to the port of Eilat or through the Suez Canal would prolong the travel of cargo vessels from the East to Israel about five weeks, as cargo vessels would have to circumvent the African continent at Cape of Good Hope through the Strait of Gibraltar to the Mediterranean."

Yemen prevents 'Israel'-bound ships from passing via the Arabian, Red seas

The Yemeni Armed Forces announced on Saturday the introduction of a new actionable decision in support of Gaza, which will see the prohibition of all ships bound to the occupation entity, regardless of their nationality, from passing through the Arabian and Red Seas until food and medicine sufficient to the needs of the population enter the besieged Strip.

In a statement, Yemeni Armed Forces spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree declared that this prohibition is "effective immediately," noting that Sanaa, "out of its commitment to the safety of maritime navigation, warns all ships and companies against dealing with Israeli ports."

"The Yemeni Armed Forces emphasize their full commitment to the continuity of global trade movement through the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea for all ships and all countries, except those ships associated with Israel or those that will transport goods" to the occupation entity.

It is worth noting that the spokesperson did not void the earlier equation, which constitutes that the Yemeni army will continue targeting Israeli ships in the Red Sea until the war on Gaza stops.

Commenting on the announcement, Israeli media confirmed that Sanaa's announcement preventing any ship from reaching Israeli ports is considered "an escalation up a notch and a very serious event," calling it a significant issue for the entire world. This entails a recognition of the size of the impact this announcement may cause.

It should be noted that Sanaa has consistently affirmed its dedication to international law and maritime navigation. It emphasizes being a partner in ensuring compliance with these principles, underscoring that its operations solely impact ships associated with the occupation.