By Zein Khalil
JERUSALEM (AA) – Israel said Monday that it plans to transport goods from India through the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to bypass Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.
“We have established professional teams to enable the overland transportation of goods from Abu Dhabi to Israel,” Transport Minister Miri Regev said on X.
“The overland transportation of the goods will shorten the time by 12 days and greatly reduce the existing waiting time due to the Houthi problem,” she added. “We will do it and we will succeed.”
There was no comment from Emirati authorities on the Israeli minister’s statements.
Tensions have escalated in the Red Sea amid Houthi attacks on commercial ships suspected of having links with Israel.
The Houthis say their attacks aim to pressure Israel to halt its deadly onslaught on the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 25,295 people since an Oct. 7 cross-border offensive by the Palestinian group Hamas.
The US and UK launched airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen in recent days in retaliation for the attacks, which have created fears of a new bout of inflation and supply chain disruption.
The Red Sea is one of the world's most frequently used sea routes for oil and fuel shipments. It is used to transit between Egypt's Suez Canal and the Gulf of Aden, allowing ships to avoid the much costlier and longer route across the southern coast of Africa.
*Writing by Ahmed Asmar