Malaysia’s government announced on Wednesday that it will block all Israeli-owned and flagged ships, and any vessels headed to Israel, from docking at its ports. According to a statement posted on social media by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the ban goes into effect immediately.
“These sanctions are a response to Israel’s actions that ignore basic humanitarian principles and violate international law through the ongoing massacre and brutality against Palestinians,” the statement said.
The decision will likely add to Israel’s shipping woes as Houthi rebels from Yemen target ships in the narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait, also in response to the Gaza conflict.
From bases along the Yemeni coast, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels are able to threaten shipping in the Red Sea as they traverse the strait, a narrow maritime chokepoint between the Arabian Peninsula and Africa. The majority of the world’s oil passes through the strait from the Indian Ocean towards the Suez Canal and Mediterranean Sea.
The Houthis recently announced that they would target any Israel-bound ship in the Red Sea, regardless of its ownership. They have attacked or harassed a number of ships and hijacked the Galaxy Leader. The cargo ship and its crew of 25 are being held hostage in the Yemeni port of Hodeidah.
Attacks have increased the cost of shipping to Israel as transportation companies pull out of the Bab el-Mandeb route. Israel’s economy relies on seaborne trade.
On Monday, British energy giant BP became the latest firm to announce a halt to its Red Sea shipping due to Houthi attacks.
It joins a list that includes container lines Evergreen, Maersk, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), Hapag-Lloyd and CMA-CGM.
The United States is launching a 10-member multinational force to counter the maritime threat posed by Iran-backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen, but Israel is not included in the initiative.
“This is a global problem which requires a global response,” the Prime Minister’s Office told TPS.
“Of course, we are acting against this threat as it reaches our borders, and we will do whatever it takes to be involved in that task force.”
