Malaysian President Anwar Ibrahim has imposed a ban on the docking of Israeli-flagged ships at all Malaysian ports, the president indicated in a statement on Wednesday, stressing that this symbolic move stems from frustrations over the war in Gaza, in a response to Israel’s attacks on Gaza.
“These restrictions are a response to Israel’s actions that ignore basic humanitarian principles and violate international law through continuous massacres and atrocities against the Palestinians,” added the statement.
The bans restrict any Israeli-registered companies, namely Israeli-based shipping company ZIM, from anchoring and docking at ports in the South-East Asian country. Ships en-route to Israel are also banned from loading cargo in Malaysia.
In 2002 and 2005, the Malaysian government allowed Israeli-registered shipping companies to dock and load at its ports, but has now canceled that decision.
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A nation with no diplomatic ties to Israel, Malaysia is one of the most vocal supporters of Palestianians. Anwar has strongly advocated for the Palestinian cause and repeatedly condemned Israel’s bombardment on Gaza, while Malaysia has donated millions of dollars in aid to Gaza.
With Houthi rebels attacking cargo ships in the Red Sea, the ban on Israeli ships docking at Malaysian ports comes amid global concerns about disruptions to global shipping.
According to the Health Ministry in Gaza on Tuesday, 19,667 people in Gaza have been killed and over 50,000 injured by Israeli strikes since October 7, when Israel launched its bloody war in response to the Hamas attacks that killed 1,200 people in southern Israel.
