The Houthis are playing an escalating role in the conflict
in the Middle East, also firing drones and missiles at Israel in a campaign
they say aims to support Palestinians in the Gaza war, where Hamas is also
backed by Iran.
Eilat, which primarily handles car imports and potash
exports coming from the Dead Sea, pales in size compared to Israel's
Mediterranean ports in Haifa and Ashdod which handle most of the country's
trade.
But Eilat, which sits adjacent to Jordan's only coastal
access point at Aqaba, offers Israel a gateway to the East without the need to
navigate the Suez Canal.
It was one of the first ports to be affected as shipping
firms rerouted vessels to avoid the Red Sea after the Houthis disrupted a key
trade route through the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Without Bab al-Mandab "you close the main shipping
artery to Eilat Port. And therefore we lost 85% of total activity", CEO
Gideon Golber told Reuters.
The United States has since announced a multi-national
security initiative to protect the crucial shipping lane.
Attacks by Yemen's Houthi militants on ships in the Red Sea
are disrupting maritime trade through the Suez Canal, with some vessels
re-routing to a much longer East-West route via the southern tip of Africa.
"We still have a small number of ships for exporting
potash, but I believe that with a destination in the Far East they will no
longer travel in that direction. So that will also go down," Golber said.
"Unfortunately, if it continues we will reach a
situation of zero ships in Eilat Port."
The alternative route takes shipping around the southern tip
of Africa, extending voyages to the Mediterranean by two to three weeks which
will add extra costs down the line, Israeli officials say.
Golber said the port would discuss with all relevant parties
how to maintain operational continuity at Eilat, although it would require
income. Still, he was confident they would find a way to do so.
"If God forbid, the coalition countries and Israel lag
in finding a solution for the Houthis, unfortunately we will likely have to
furlough workers," he said, adding that a small number would be required
to service any ships that do arrive.
0 comments:
Post a Comment