Israeli Ports Deemed to be at Heightened Risk - Rigzone News

Israeli Ports Deemed to be at Heightened Risk | Rigzone

Israeli Ports Deemed to be at Heightened Risk

In light of the recent surprise offensive by Hamas against Israel on October 7, the maritime domain faces a potential shift in security dynamics.

That’s what maritime risk intelligence company Dryad Global noted in its latest Maritime Security Threat Advisory (MSTA), adding that, “due to the re-escalation, Israeli ports are deemed to be at heightened risk”.

“With continuous rocket barrages expected from Gaza, alongside the potential for a protracted conflict, the damage to port infrastructure becomes increasingly probable,” Dryad stated in the MSTA.

“The ports of Ashkelon and Ashdod, due to their proximity to the Gaza Strip, are particularly vulnerable. Emerging reports, evidenced by social media images, show vehicles ablaze at Ashkelon port, believed to be the aftermath of missile strikes,” the company added in the MSTA.

“It is worth noting that while militants in Gaza possess limited precision targeting capabilities, past attempts, such as the one in May 2021 against the Tamar offshore gas rig, and previous attacks involving the ports of Ashkelon and Ashdod, underline the risks,” Dryad continued.

In the MSTA, Dryad outlined that the C-Dome Israeli maritime air defense system “showed promise in repelling advanced threats during its May 2023 tests” but added that “it is understood to yet to have been fully deployed, potentially leaving some marine assets in the Israeli Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) exposed”.

“Noting that a number of security companies are advising commercial operators to avoid Israeli waters, limited commercial operations have persisted,” Dryad said in the MSTA.

Over the past weekend, merchant ships have both entered and left the ports of Ashdod and Haifa, the company highlighted in the report.

“In the case of Haifa, the risk from rockets launched from Gaza remains low, due to their limited range. An escalated response from Lebanese Hezbollah could pose a significant threat,” Dryad stated in the MSTA.

“The Red Sea port of Eliat, distant from Gaza, presents a somewhat diminished risk given the current targeting capacities,” it added.

“However, commercial undertakings are bound to face disruptions in the immediate future. Prolonged disturbances at Israel’s three largest ports - Haifa, Ashdod, and Eilat - could severely hamper imports and exports,” Dryad continued.

Natural Gas Importer to Exporter

In a statement posted on the Israeli Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure website back in August, Israel’s Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, Israel Katz, said, “thanks to the Prime Minister and Government’s policy on natural gas production, in only a few years Israel has turned from a natural gas importer to a natural gas exporter”.

“The strongest geopolitical card Israel possesses today is the natural gas. We are a land of milk and honey - and gas. Everyone in the region and the world are interested in contacts with Israel because of the natural gas,” he added.

“Our ability to export natural gas in a controlled way constitutes a powerful geopolitical instrument which bolsters the State of Israel’s status in the region and the world. My job is to ensure that the supply of natural gas, firstly to the citizens of Israel, remains robust in the coming decades,” he continued.

A statement posted on the ministry’s site back in June last year revealed that Israel’s then Minister of Energy, Karine Elharrar, had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) enabling the export of Israeli natural gas to the EU.

“The MoU recognizes the key role to be filled by natural gas in the energy economy of EU countries until 2030,” the statement noted.

“According to the MoU, in subsequent years the use of natural gas in the EU member states is expected to decrease to the point of compliance by the EU countries with the commitment for a zero-emissions economy by 2050,” it added.

“This is a historical moment in which the small country of Israel becomes a significant player in the global energy market,” Elharrar said in the statement.

“The MoU will enable Israel, for the first time, to export Israeli natural gas to Europe, and it is even more impressive looking at the significant set of agreements we signed over the last year, which position Israel and the Israeli energy and water sectors as a key global player,” Elharrar added.

To contact the author, email andreas.exarheas@rigzone.com

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