Houthi attacks take toll on Israel's Red Sea port
The Houthis began attacking vessels in the Red Sea and beyond in solidarity with Gaza following Israel's response to the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. The Port of Eilat, in southern Israel, has seen a 90 percent drop in activity since, according to chief executive Gideon Golber.
The militants, who are backed by Iran, have promised to continue the attacks on ships until Israel ends the war in Gaza. They have also launched attacks targeting Eilat directly, most of which Israel said it intercepted.
While a complete shutdown of the privately operated port would not represent a sweeping change, given its already diminished capacity and the rerouting of activity to Mediterranean ports, it would be a win for the Houthis and point to the ongoing impact of their campaign, especially relative to Israel's other adversaries in the region.
Earlier this month, the Houthis sunk two Liberian-flagged cargo vessels, the MV Eternity C and MV Magic Seas. Four seafarers were confirmed killed, with more than a dozen others considered missing, including some presumed dead.
'You cannot let terror organizations close any route,' Golber said after his meeting with government officials Sunday. He said he told representatives from the ministries of transportation, economy and finance that if they wanted to show the world that nobody can close Israel's ports, the government should 'force ships' to come to Eilat with financial incentives.
'Maybe you need to pay more money,' Golber said he told them. 'Let's say $500,000 per ship … and the workers will work.'
Through this drastic slowdown, the port has continued paying employees' salaries, as well as land and port fees to the government and municipality — an unsustainable situation 'without having any work,' Golber said. He said Eilat port has been losing about 4 million shekels, or $1,193,301, per month for the past 19 months.
'That's the reason we decided, if the government is not going to help port of Eilat, then we will close the port,' Golber said.
The Port of Eilat is Israel's third largest port and is a major point of entry for goods bound for Israel from China, India and Australia, among other countries. Major imports include vehicles, oil and cattle, according to Israel's Port Authority, while fertilizers and minerals were exported out through Eilat. The port also serves cruises and passenger ships.
Efforts by the United States and Israel's other allies to stop the Houthi attacks — through punitive sanctions and repeated strikes on Yemen — have so far proved ineffective. The fighters have launched over 145 attacks on merchant vessels since October 2023, according to the White House. The Houthis have also fired attacks at the port city of Eilat, but the IDF intercepted the attacks.
Previously, nearly 15 percent of global maritime trade volume passed through the Suez Canal, according to the International Monetary Fund. But a number of major shipping companies have halted travel through the Red Sea since Oct. 7, 2023, citing the risks posed by Houthi attacks, driving up travel times and costs for goods previously meant for Eilat.
In February 2024, a ship bearing approximately 16,000 sheep and cattle was left stranded in an Australian port as officials debated sending the ship on a longer voyage around the Horn of Africa, instead of through the Red Sea.
Israel's Mediterranean ports see the bulk of marine traffic to Israel due to Eilat's far-south location. In June, Iran struck Israel's Haifa port — the country's largest and one of the biggest in the Mediterranean, injuring at least 31 people and damaging numerous buildings.
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