by Manal Barakat, SeaNewsEditor
Spain has recently prohibited ships and aircraft carrying weapons or military-grade fuel to Israel from accessing Spanish ports or airspace, reports Splash247.
This decision comes in response to the prolonged military conflict between Israel and Gaza, which has lasted nearly two years.
Earlier in August, the Turkish authorities made a similar move when they barred Israeli-linked vessels from entering their ports.
This regulation also prevents Turkish-flagged vessels from calling at Israeli ports.
The directive had been communicated verbally rather than through formal issuance by Ankara. A spokesperson from the Turkish Ministry of Transport confirmed that there is no official statement on any restriction regarding Israeli-linked ships.
Nevertheless, Israeli container carrier ZIM had informed customers about the new development.
“Following the latest decisions made by the authorities in Türkiye regarding Israeli-linked operated vessels, we would like to update you that ZIM will continue to offer all our high-quality services to the Turkish customers while complying with the new guidelines. Our schedule will be updated accordingly soon,” writes the carrier.
Türkiye halted all trade with Israel in May 2024, including the export of cement and steel, which are significant commodities provided by Türkiye to Israel.
Furthermore, this year has seen numerous protests at ports worldwide over shipments of arms to Israel, with many dockworkers refusing to work on specific ships heading there.
