Egypt’s Suez Canal Authority announced that all commercial and military vessels had the right to pass through the waterway in an official response following the spread of a video online showing an Israeli warship sailing through the canal.
The video, which saw a small crowd of Egyptians watching as the Israeli vessel sailed past, however, was not mentioned by the authorities in their statement.
It sailed from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea while flying Israeli and Egyptian flags, as part of the Suez Canal’s regulations that the flag of the host nation is flown next to the country of registration while passing through the canal.
Suez Canal Authority’s statement was not the first time Egyptian authorities have responded to social media posts, as many users have been critical of the country for what they see as a lack of disciplinary measures against Israel in response to the war.
However, in 1979, Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel, the first Arab country to do so, following four wars between 1948 and 1973.
In response to “questions on social media, ” the statement read: “The Suez Canal Authority emphasises its commitment to the implementation of international treaties guaranteeing free passage to ships transiting the Suez Canal, whether commercial or military, regardless of their nationality.”
It referred to the Constantinople Convention of 1888, which governs the rules of the Canal. The first clause of the convention states that the Suez Canal “shall always be free and of commerce or of war, without the distinction of flag.
“Consequently, the High Contracting Parties agree not in any way to interfere with the free use of the Canal, in time of war as in time of peace. The Canal shall never be subjected to the exercise of the right of blockade”.
The country’s army responded to allegations on social media that it was helping Israel in the war, whilst the statement followed media reports that Egypt’s Mediterranean port of Alexandria received a shipment of explosives for Israel.
The statement added: “The Egyptian Armed Forces categorically deny what has been circulated on social media and suspicious accounts and what is being promoted about assisting Israel in its military operations in general and in detail.”
A day before the statement was issued, a pro-Palestinian legal support group filed a court appeal in Berlin that sought to block a 150-tonne shipment of military-grade explosives on the German cargo vessel MV Kathrin.
The group’s appeal stated that the explosives could be used in munitions for the Israel-Gaza war, which would then potentially contribute to alleged war crimes.
The MV Kathrin was denied entry at several African and European ports, including Angola, Slovenia, Montenegro, and Malta. The group added that the Portuguese authorities required the ship to switch from a Portuguese flag to a German flag before it could continue on its way.
