Hebrew Media Consensus: Eilat Port Completely Paralyzed… “No Ships and No Victory Without Reopening It”
Hebrew Media Acknowledge an Unprecedented Strategic and Economic Failure After More Than Two Years of the Paralysis of Umm al-Rashrash Port Due to Yemeni Operations in the Red Sea
NYN | Reports and Analyses
Hebrew media outlets have unanimously described the situation at Umm al-Rashrash Port—referred to by the occupying power as “Eilat”—as the most dangerous since its establishment. They confirmed that the port has remained completely paralyzed since the start of Yemeni operations in the Red Sea, even after the announcement of a ceasefire, reflecting a strategic and economic failure by the occupation government.
Israeli media reports affirmed that the port, considered one of the occupation’s most important strategic assets on the Red Sea, is effectively out of service amid continued government neglect and the absence of any real prospects for its reopening.
i24NEWS: The Port Is Abandoned and the State Has Forsaken It
The Hebrew channel i24NEWS, in a report aired during its main news bulletin, said that Umm al-Rashrash Port has been under an effective siege for more than two and a half years, noting that it has been “completely abandoned and neglected by the state.” The channel added that the port only returned to the official agenda as a result of pressure and activism by its workers and owners.
The channel’s economic affairs correspondent, Adi Cohen, quoted Raz Zamir, Head of Procurement and Communications at the port, as saying:
“The port is abandoned. There is no work, and not a single ship enters it — the Houthis defeated us.”
He added that the port, once bustling with commercial activity, has now turned into something resembling a “ghost town.”
180 Jobs Lost and Hundreds of Families at Risk
For her part, the port’s Chief Financial Officer, Batya Zafrani, expressed frustration over government neglect, stating that the port’s closure deprived 180 workers of their jobs and affected the livelihoods of between 300 and 400 families in the city of Eilat.
Meanwhile, Eli Lankri, Mayor of Eilat, described the continued closure of the port as “unacceptable,” warning of serious economic and social repercussions for the city if the current situation persists.
From 150,000 Cars Annually to Zero
Port Chairman Avi Hormaro confirmed that before the war, the port handled more than half of the occupation entity’s car imports, amounting to nearly 150,000 vehicles annually, noting that this figure has now dropped to zero.
He explained that government support since the start of the war has not exceeded 15 million shekels, an amount sufficient to cover only two months of expenses, forcing the port’s management and workers to rely on their own resources to survive.
Calcalist: Insurers Refuse Coverage and Plans Lack Funding
In the same context, the Hebrew website Calcalist reported that reopening Eilat Port would require government support estimated at around one million dollars per month, confirming that insurance companies continue to refuse coverage for ships heading to the port, even after the announcement of a ceasefire.
The site noted that a plan was proposed within the Finance Committee to support an alternative shipping line through cooperation between the port’s owners, the Ministry of Transport, and importers, but the plan has remained stalled without actual funding.
Bizportal and Maariv: The Houthis Have Won
For its part, the Hebrew website Bizportal stated that “the Houthis have won,” pointing to the collapse of the government’s plan to save the port and the absence of any decision to extend its concession, amid official confusion over its future.
The newspaper Maariv also quoted Port Chairman Avi Hormaro as saying:
“There is no picture of victory without reopening Eilat Port,”
underscoring the port’s symbolic and strategic importance to the occupation.
Yedioth Ahronoth: The Port Is in Its Final Moments
In a lengthy report, the Hebrew daily Yedioth Ahronoth, in its Monday, January 12, 2026 issue, concluded that Umm al-Rashrash Port is “breathing its last,” amid a complete paralysis of maritime activity and a lack of any clear governmental solution.
Scene Summary
This broad Hebrew media consensus reflects the depth of the crisis facing Umm al-Rashrash Port as one of the most severely affected facilities by Yemeni operations in the Red Sea, representing a direct strategic and economic blow to the occupying entity, with repercussions that remain open to increasingly complex scenarios.
