Houthi operations began seizing an Israeli ship (Al Jazeera)
The chief executive of Israel's Eilat port, Gideon Gulber, said on Thursday that port activity has fallen 85 percent since the Houthis in Yemen intensified their attacks on ships bound for Israel in the Red Sea.
The Houthi group says it has stepped up attacks on ships heading to Israel to pressure for aid to enter Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip, after the occupation prevented its entry after Operation Al-Aqsa flood.
The Houthis have also fired drones and missiles into Israel. The port of Eilat deals mainly with car imports and potash exports from the Dead Sea, and handles a small percentage of Israeli trade compared to the Mediterranean ports of Haifa and Ashdod.
But the port of Eilat is located next to Jordan's only coastal access point to the sea in Aqaba, providing Israel with a gateway to the east of the world without the need for navigation in the Suez Canal.
Eilat was one of the first ports to be affected by Houthi operations, with increasing shipping companies redirecting ships to avoid the Red Sea after the Houthis disrupted a major trade route through the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Main artery
Reuters quoted Gulber as saying that with the closure of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the main shipping artery of the port of Eilat was closed, thus losing 85 percent of its total activity.
The United States has since declared a multinational maritime coalition to protect this vital shipping lane.
"We still have a small number of ships to export potash, but I think with a destination in the Far East they will no longer travel in that direction and therefore that will also decrease," Gulber said.
"Unfortunately, if it continues we will reach a situation of no ships in the port of Eilat."
Alternative route
Israeli officials say the alternative route circumvents Africa (Cape of Good Hope), prolonging trips to the Mediterranean by two to three weeks, thus causing additional shipping costs.
Gulper noted that the port's management will discuss with all concerned parties how to maintain the continuity of operation in Eilat, although this will require financial income, however, he is confident that they will find a way to do so. "If, God forbid, coalition countries and Israel delay in finding a solution to the Houthi (attacks), it is unfortunate that we will probably have to grant leave to workers," he said, adding that a small number of workers would be needed to service any ships that arrive.
Reuters quoted maritime sources yesterday as saying shipping companies remain skeptical about the new international maritime coalition the United States is forming to counter attacks in the Red Sea, with many ships continuing to avoid the region or cancel their contracts.
The sources, including shipping and maritime security officials, said few practical details were known about the initiative launched by Washington on Tuesday or whether it would be directly involved in the event of further armed attacks at sea.
Corey Ransom, chief executive of UK maritime risk and security consultancy Dryad Global, said: "There are still a number of unknowns regarding the alliance. "We don't know exactly how many warships will be involved, how long it will take for those ships to reach the area, their rules of engagement and the actual protection plan they will provide."
"This is a fairly small area globally, yet providing protection for commercial vessels in this area can be a big task depending on the number of vessels along with any changes in Houthi tactics."
Source : Al Jazeera + Agencies