Malaysia has banned all Israeli-owned and flagged ships, as well as any vessels headed to Israel, from docking at its ports in response to the ongoing war in Gaza for continuously violating international law through the “massacre and brutality against Palestinians”.
The ban comes amid growing concerns about disruptions in global shipping due to attacks on Israeli cargo vessels in the Red Sea.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, on December 20, announced his government has decided to impose the maritime ban on Israel-affiliated vessels for its ‘continuous cruelty’ against Palestinians. Ships bound for Israel will also be stopped from loading cargo at any Malaysian port, effective immediately, Anwar said in a statement.
“The Malaysian government decided to block and disallow the Israeli-based shipping company ZIM from docking at any Malaysian port,” Anwar said, emphasizing that the restrictions were a response “to Israel’s actions that ignore basic humanitarian principles and violate international law through the ongoing massacre and brutality against Palestinians”.
Malaysia “also decided to no longer accept ships using the Israeli flag to dock in the country” and ban “any ship on its way to Israel from loading cargo in Malaysian ports. Both of these restrictions are effective immediately,” the Malaysian prime minister said.
Malaysia, with around 60% Muslim population, does not hold diplomatic relations with Israel and advocates for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
The Southeast Asian nation has donated millions of dollars in aid to Gaza since the Israel-Gaza conflict started in October. Prime Minister Anwar has vocally supported the Palestinian cause consistently condemning Israel’s bombardment of Gaza since October 7.
Shipping route disruptions
Malaysia’s ban on Israeli ships comes at a time when shipping routes are facing major disruptions due to attacks from Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, the main East-West trade route for cargo ships across the world.
The Suez Canal connects the Red Sea with the Mediterranean, creating the shortest shipping route between Asia and Europe. Around 12% percent of global shipping traffic transits through the Suez Canal.
Recent Houthi attacks on Israeli ships prompted concerns, leading shipping companies to alter routes and suspend operations, prompting the US to announce a multinational force to safeguard trade in the region.
Quick facts
Malaysia’s shipping ban comes at a time of growing international pressure for ceasefire in Gaza so that more aid could be delivered to the besieged Palestinian territory and hostages with IDF and Hamas could be released.
- 19,667 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been reported killed in the ongoing conflict, as stated by the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza.
- UNRWA reports that over 60 percent of Gaza’s infrastructure has been destroyed or damaged, displacing more than 90 percent of the enclave’s 2.3 million population.
- Israel has lost 132 soldiers in the conflict within Gaza since its invasion following Hamas’s October raid, resulting in the death of 1,200 people and the capture of 240 others.
- A truce brokered by Qatari and US diplomats in late November lasted a week before collapsing. The exchange saw the release of 110 hostages in return for 240 Palestinian women and children from Israeli prisons.