Enemy Media Admit Defeat: Eilat Port Abandoned as “Ansar Allah” Impose Their Equation
Hebrew Reports Acknowledge the Occupation Government’s Failure to Restart Eilat Port Amid Complete Commercial Paralysis and Confirm That Yemeni Attacks Have Decided the Battle in the Red Sea
NYN | Reports and Analyses
Hebrew media outlets have revealed, in a renewed confirmation of the occupation entity’s failure to contain the repercussions of Yemeni operations in the Red Sea, that Umm al-Rashrash Port—referred to by the occupation as Eilat—remains effectively out of service, amid total commercial paralysis and the absence of any civilian maritime traffic.
One Million Dollars Withheld Deepens the Crisis
The website Israel Hayom reported that restarting the port would require no more than one million dollars per month, yet the government has so far refused to allocate this amount. As a result, the port remains abandoned and largely inactive, despite its importance as the occupation entity’s primary southern maritime gateway on the Red Sea.
Military Activity Only, Commerce Absent
The report explained that the only vessels currently docked at the port are military naval units conducting routine security missions to secure the Gulf of Eilat, while all commercial and civilian maritime activity remains completely absent.
Yemeni Attacks Have Paralyzed the Port Since 2023
According to the Hebrew website, this paralysis stems from attacks carried out by Yemeni forces against shipping linked to the occupation in the Red Sea. These operations began on November 19, 2023, with the targeting and seizure of a commercial vessel, prompting global shipping companies to immediately halt their operations in the area.
Severe Economic Repercussions and Layoffs
The report noted that the crisis has had direct repercussions on port workers, with the number of employees dropping from around 200 to just 130. Those remaining have been retained under a government decision aimed at maintaining a minimum level of readiness, viewing the port as a “last resort” for Red Sea navigation if needed.
Bizportal: 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 rescue the port and the absence of any move to extend its concession, amid a lack of decisive decisions regarding its future.
Explicit Admission: The Port Is Abandoned
In the same context, the Israeli channel i24NEWS quoted the port’s Head of Procurement and Communications, Raz Zamir, as saying bluntly:
“The port is abandoned. There is no work, and not a single ship enters it… the Houthis defeated us.”
A Strategic Predicament for the Occupation
According to Israel Hayom, the continued closure of Eilat Port reflects a deepening strategic and economic predicament for the occupation entity, as the government fails to cover relatively limited operating costs while sustaining wide-ranging losses affecting supply chains, trade, and the southern hinterland. Field realities confirm that the impact of Yemeni operations has gone beyond the security dimension to paralyze one of the most important maritime facilities in the south of occupied Palestine.
