The Israeli port of Ashdod acknowledged on Tuesday that the attacks launched by the Houthi group in Yemen on commercial ships represent a strategic threat to global shipping routes and maritime traffic to Israel, although they have no direct impact on port activity.
The Houthis announced, earlier today, that they had carried out a military operation against a Norwegian commercial tanker, as part of expressing their support for the Gaza Strip, which is under Israeli attack. Such operations reflect the risks involved in conflict.
The port said, in a statement, “We confirm that we are doing our best to keep the roads to Israel open despite the challenges of war.”
Israel depends on maritime traffic for its imports and exports. The port of Ashdod in the south and Haifa in the north are the two largest ports in Israel.
It should be noted that the port of Ashkelon, the smallest and closest to Gaza, has been closed since the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation launched by the Palestinian resistance led by the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades (the military wing of the Hamas movement) on the seventh of last October.
On November 19, Houthi military forces detained a commercial ship owned by an Israeli businessman called the Galaxy Leader, following the repercussions of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli naval fleet
In a previous report published by Al Jazeera Net, it was mentioned In 2022, Israeli ports unloaded goods with a tonnage of 40.6 million tons, and they carried abroad goods with a tonnage of 18.2 million tons.
As for individuals who passed through Israel’s commercial ports, they were estimated at approximately 378,000 passengers in 2022, which may lead to Israel losing an important part of its share in transporting individuals by sea, whether for the purpose of trade or tourism.
Israel’s maritime trade does not only take place through its ships, but may also take place through ships owned by other countries or companies.
The importance of Bab al-Mandab
It is noteworthy that the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which Yemen oversees, passes through 10% of international maritime trade annually through the passage of about 21 thousand ships. 6 million barrels of oil pass through it daily.
The Houthi threat to ships dealing with Israel, which pass through Bab al-Mandab, would affect its trade with the East, especially with Asia.
There will be a high cost for the operation of Israeli ships passing through waters near Yemen during the coming period, either due to the risks of their detention, or the rise in insurance fees on them, which means an increase in the cost of operating these ships and an increase in the wages they receive either from Israeli companies or By third parties who agree to deal with companies or individuals who own Israeli ships.
If risks continue in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and sea trade and Israeli ships are exposed to the risks of detention, the alternative may be air or land transportation, which means higher costs, which will reflect negatively on Israel’s foreign trade.
