Israel's Red Sea Eilat port sees maritime traffic stopped

According to maritime traffic website Vessel Finder, shipping traffic at the Israeli Red Sea port of Eilat has all but stopped.

No vessels have arrived at the port in 24 hours and no ships are expected to arrive for the next 30 days, according to the tracking website. 

The cost of insurance premiums for Israeli shipping have soared following the 7 October assault by Hamas and Israel's war on Gaza. Since then, the Yemeni Houthi group have targeted ships heading towards Israel through the Red Sea.

The spokesperson for Yemen's Houthi administration, Yahya Saree, said on Tuesday that "to heed the calls of our free Yemeni people, the Yemeni Naval Forces carried out an outstanding military operation against the MV Strinda".

The measures against Israeli ships would continue "in support of the oppressed Palestinian people, currently reeling under the destruction, killing and siege of the Gaza Strip", Saree added.