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Israel faces ‘horror scenario’ if Haifa port targeted by Hezbollah
There are growing fears in Israel that Hezbollah missiles could reach the port of Haifa amid Israel’s escalation of its attacks in Lebanon since September 23.
A potential strike on Haifa could threaten the supply of basic goods to Israel if it is hit.
According to The New Arab’s Arabic language sister publication, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, the fears have prompted Israel to consider using a port in another country, in case shipping vessels stop heading to Israel.
The potential country has not yet been disclosed, however the Israeli economics-focused newspaper Calcalist published a report detailing the consequences of Haifa port being hit and stating that the port of Ashdod, the second largest port in the Mediterranean, cannot be used as an alternative due to limited capacity.
The report adds that Ashdod port can only accommodate a certain quantity of containers, and relying on it would lead to a shortage of essentials, including food.
Israel will be in a “horror scenario” the report continued, noting that recent missile attacks have proven to show the seriousness of the situation.
A spokesperson for the Israeli army confirmed that Haifa is secured with protection systems in place in case of missile attacks, however it is not possible to guarantee the effectiveness of these systems.
Zadok Redker, the Israeli official in charge of ports within the ministry of transportation, reportedly said that they have prepared a plan to use the ports of a neighbouring country in the event that up to 70 percent of shipping vessels stop heading towards Israel.
Redker also stated that the ministry has instructed ship management to reduce space allocated for storing cars in order to leave space for vital goods.
Israeli media reports state that if one missile was to target the port, it would cause all ships to stop functioning immediately.
Some reports noted that a missile fired by Hezbollah in 2006 killed eight people working near the Haifa port, causing the immediate closure of it and forcing all ships to transfer to the port of Ashdod.
Calcalist confirmed that Italian shipping vessels have already stopped heading to the port of Haifa, following instructions from the Italian Coast Guard.
Concerns have also been raised as the cost of transporting goods via air in Israel has increased by 30 percent, because of many companies no longer flying to Israel due to the security situation.
Israel’s ports have already come under immense pressure, particularly after the port of Eilat on the Red Sea was targeted by Yemen’s Houthi group, in solidarity with Palestinians.
The Israeli government has already called on the ministry of transport to issue guidelines to crews regarding security and protection measures in ports, in an effort to reassure companies transporting goods to Israel.
Al-Araby Al-Jadeed also reported, citing Israeli news sites, that some foreign ships specialising in transporting people have already stopped arriving at Israeli ports, and will likely not resume working again until 2025.
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 42,227 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded over 98,464 others in the same time frame. The war has levelled entire neighbourhoods and plunged the Strip into a deep humanitarian crisis.
THE NEW ARAB