Israeli media outlets continue to underline the efficacy of the Yemeni front supporting Gaza. Reports from Israel on Tuesday underscored that “Israel” has seen a decline in its role as a hub for maritime trade in the region, attributing this to the Yemeni blockade on ships heading to occupied Palestinian ports.
Among the consequences is a significant decrease of two-thirds in car imports to the entity since the start of this year.
The Hebrew newspaper, The Marker, corroborated these findings, noting a stark decline in container traffic in Israel during the first quarter of this year, dropping to 19.9 thousand containers from 44.2 thousand containers in the same period last year—a decrease of over 51 percent.
“This indicates that Houthi attacks have led to Israel, at least temporarily, losing its status as a central hub for container traffic in the Mediterranean Sea, with little prospect of change in the coming months,” the newspaper added.
It elaborated that most container ships now opt for round trips around Africa, with Haifa port becoming the final destination, thereby reducing its significance as a major regional station.
Furthermore, another report by the same newspaper highlighted a 65 percent decrease in car imports to Israel during the first quarter of this year compared to the same period last year, according to data from the Shipping and Ports Authority.
Additionally, Hebrew newspaper Globes echoed these figures, indicating a 51 percent decrease in imports of electric cars from China to “Israel” during the first quarter of this year.
Both newspapers attributed this substantial decline to the situation in the Red Sea, citing the blockade imposed by the Armed Forces on ships heading to occupied Palestinian ports.
Notably, the port of Umm Al-Rashrash (Eilat) served as the primary entry point for imported cars to the enemy entity, receiving 50 percent of the total imports.
The Marker quoted Yoram Ze’ev, head of the shipping chamber in the enemy entity, expressing reluctance within the shipping industry to revive maritime shipping to Israel.
He emphasized, “Every delayed container disrupts the supply chain. It’s not just about television screens but components used in industry and food products.”
Yemenis have declared their open support for Palestine’s struggle against the Israeli occupation since the regime launched a devastating war on Gaza on October 7 after the territory’s Palestinian resistance movements carried out the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm.
