Anwar bans Israeli shipping firm Zim from Malaysian ports over Gaza war
- Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the restriction was in response to Israel’s continued ‘assault and brutality towards the people of Palestine’
- He added the government will also impose an immediate ban on ships bearing Israel’s flag from docking at Malaysian ports
So far, nearly 20,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, with an untold number believed to be buried under pancaked buildings and hundreds of thousands more forced from their homes, spurring further condemnation this week at the United Nations.
The attacks have led oil major BP and shipping company Maersk to suspend Red Sea operations, sending energy and freight prices up and triggering pressure on new cargo routes.
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Announcing the ban in a statement, Anwar said the decision to terminate the existing deal with Israel’s Zim – one of the world’s largest shipping lines – takes immediate effect.
“The ban is in response to Israel’s disregard for basic human rights and international law through its continued assault and brutality towards the people of Palestine,” Anwar said.
The government will also impose an immediate ban on ships bearing Israel’s flag from docking at Malaysian ports, while ships en route to Israel will not be allowed to load any cargo while in the Southeast Asian nation, he said.
Anwar said Malaysia’s Cabinet had in 2002 allowed ships operated by Zim to dock in the country, and later in 2005 extended it to landing cargo.
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The Houthi attacks have seen attempts to hijack, bomb or divert vessels, forcing shipping companies to either stop or introduce additional surcharges for deliveries to Israel, according to a Reuters report, even after Israel’s government said in October that it would provide compensation for ships damaged due to its war with Hamas.
Zim said in a December 14 advisory that it has imposed higher surcharges on its ships, which it said was necessary to maintain its level of services and safety of crews, vessels and cargo due to “an increase in the level of the threat”.
Many more are believed to be trapped under collapsed buildings, officials in Gaza have said, as Israel faced growing criticism, including from its allies, with sustained protests in major Western cities over the military campaign.
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France, the UK and Germany had on Sunday reportedly backed calls for a ceasefire, and US President Joe Biden last week described the bombings as “indiscriminate”.
US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin on Monday said it was a “moral duty and strategic imperative” for Israel to reduce harm to civilians in its offensive, warning excessive violence would only cause resentment that would benefit Hamas and stymie efforts towards peaceful coexistence.
Additional reporting by Reuters
