Update: 04.12.2023

Danish carrier Maersk revealed in an advisory on 1 December that it is diverting three of its vessels in an attempt to avoid potential risk in the Red Sea.

The two containerships, Maersk Camden and Maersk Campton, will sail to Europe via the Cape of Good Hope on the westbound rotation from Asia, while Maersk Campbell will return to transit the Suez Canal after unloading cargo in Saudi Arabia.

Maersk further revealed that three partner vessels, namely the MSC Tianshan, MSC Diana and MSC Eloane, will also change course due to the conflict in the region.

MSC Tianshan and MSC Diana are set to return to Asia via the Cape of Good Hope and will later unload cargo in Tangier.

Meanwhile, MSC Eloane will perform a full discharge in Ningbo, China and will be replaced by another vessel.

This measure comes after a similar announcement by the carrier, deciding to divert containerships Lisa and Maersk Pangani for the same security reasons.

Original article: 21.11.2023

Two commercial ships diverted their course in the Red Sea following the hijacking of the NYK Roro vessel by Yemen's Houthi rebels on Saturday, 18 November.

Media reports revealed that the hijacked car carrier Galaxy Leader is owned by Tel Aviv-based Ray Shipping and is chartered to the Japanese liner NYK.

Similarly, the two Israel-linked PCTC vessels, namely the Glovis Star and the Hermes Leader, are also beneficially owned by Ray Shipping Group.

According to a Lloyd’s List report, the Hermes Leader had been sailing towards the Red Sea when it changed course off the coast of Yemen directly after the attack.

Meanwhile, the Glovis Star had entered the Red Sea on its way to China when it turned back towards the Suez Canal to avoid the same fate as its sister ship.

In a social media post, a spokesperson representing the Houthis warned that their military forces could target "any Israeli ship in the Red Sea."

Commenting on the situation, Jakob Larsen, head of maritime safety and security at BIMCO, told Lloyd’s List that the recent events “should be factored in the ship security risk assessment.”

In the meantime, Israeli container line ZIM chose not to comment on the incidents and to keep the focus on port operations.

In an advisory published today, the company stressed that “all local terminals in Ashdod, Haifa and Eilat are functioning as usual, with some limitations on DG cargo.”