HONG KONG: Hong Kong-based shipping company OOCL has suspended shipments to and from Israel in response to the growing threat to commercial shipping in the Red Sea. The firm announced the decision in a statement on its website on Saturday, according to Arab News.
It said that due to operational issues, OOCL will halt cargo acceptance to and from Israel with immediate effect until further notice.
The decision comes after shipping companies AP Moller-Maersk, MSC, and Hapag-Lloyd issued similar instructions for their vessels to avoid the Red Sea in light of recent attacks.
Threat in Red Sea
Houthi group has been targeting vessels in the Red Sea in response to the military offensive of Israel in Gaza, which has so far martyred more than 18,800 Palestinian civilians in the enclave.
The attacks initially focused on ships with ownership links to Israel but have become more indiscriminate over the past week.
Avoiding the Red Sea, which provides access to the Suez Canal, considerably increases the distance container ships have to travel.
