Eilat Port seeks financial aid from Israel gov’t as work halted ( www.middleeastmonitor.com )

Israel’s port of Eilat has called on the government to provide it with financial assistance as it has been inactive since the occupation state launched its latest war on Gaza.

In a meeting with the Knesset’s Economic Affairs Committee on Sunday, CEO of the Port of Eilat, Gideon Golber, said: “The port has been non-operational for eight months due to attacks, meaning it has no revenue.”

Ships heading to Eilat have been unable to access the Red Sea as a result of Yemen’s Houthis, who have vowed to strike Israel-linked vessels in support of Palestinians in Gaza.

Umm Al-Rashrash (Eilat) has also come under missile and drone attacks from Yemen.

In December, Golber said that there had been an 85 per cent decline in operations since the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) initiated attacks on ships in the Red Sea. He indicated at the time that Eilat Port might need to temporarily lay off employees if the situation persisted.

In March, port management announced that it intended to fire half of the 120 employees as a result of the drop in its operation levels.

Eilat, which primarily handles car imports and potash exports coming from the Dead Sea, pales in size compared to Israel’s Mediterranean ports in Haifa and Ashdod, which handle nearly all the country’s trade.