Gantry cranes and freighter in the port of Alexandria, Egypt. (Photo by: Planet One Images/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
A group of Egyptian activists have filed an urgent complaint to the Public Prosecutor, targeting Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, the Chairman of Alexandria Port Authority, and the Egyptian Maritime Consultant Office (EMCO) Executive Director over the docking of a German ship carrying explosives intended for Israel.
The ship, MV Kathrin, arrived at Alexandria Port on 28 October after several countries refused it entry.
“We refuse for Egypt to become a gateway for military support to the Israeli occupation,” said the complainants. The explosives aboard the MV Kathrin are reportedly destined for the Israeli forces, who have been accused of using such materials against civilians in Gaza and Lebanon.
The activists, including notable figures such as journalist and award-winning human rights lawyer Mahienour El-Masri, claimed the shipment endangers both Egyptian and Arab national security and portrays Egypt as complicit in the war.
“This is a serious violation of international and domestic laws,” said their statement, demanding the immediate seizure of the ship and an investigation into the Egyptian firm EMCO, which allegedly facilitated the ship’s arrival.
The German-owned and flagged MV Kathrin’s controversial journey began almost two months ago when Namibian authorities discovered that the vessel was carrying military-grade explosives reportedly intended for Israel’s war efforts in Gaza and now Lebanon.
Following this discovery, multiple countries, including Malta, Namibia, and Angola, refused to accept the vessel, effectively leaving it in maritime limbo.
The Portuguese government subsequently demanded that the ship give up its Portuguese flag, forcing it to sail under the German flag. After navigating off the radar for over a week, the MV Kathrin was spotted in Porto-Romano, Albania, and later reappeared at the military berth of Alexandria Port on 28 October.
On Monday, MV Kathrin docked in the Mediterranean Port of Alexandria, sparking alarms among pro-Palestine groups over Egypt’s facilitating the delivery of military materials to Israel amid its ongoing onslaught on Gaza.
The ship reportedly unloaded eight containers containing 150,000 kg of RDX explosives, a substance used in military applications
The material is thought to be destined for Israeli Military Industries, a subsidiary of Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest military company. The intended use is for manufacturing weapons like bombs, mortars, and rockets.
According to a statement by the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement earlier this week, EMCO also oversaw the departure of another vessel headed for Ashdod Port in Israel on the same day.
On Thursday, Amnesty Intertnational confirmed the Egyptian government had permitted the German-flagged MV Kathrinto dock and offload at Alexandria port “despite the risk that such cargo would contribute to the commission of war crimes in Gaza”.
“International humanitarian law (IHL) prohibits states from transferring weapons to a party to an armed conflict where there is risk that would contribute to commission of war crimes,” Amnesty added, saying Egypt must not assist or facilitate this unlawful transfer.
The Egyptian government has since confirmed the arrival of the ship but denied having any role in transferring ammunition to Israel.
“[The] Kathrin is a Portuguese ship that raises the German flag. It has been permitted to dock in Alexandria port to unload its shipment intended to the Egyptian Ministry of Military Production,” the Egyptian Ministry of Transport and Industry said in a statement.
“The ship had officially requested permission to depart the port towards the Port of Haydarpaşa (AKA Port of Haidar Pasha) in Turkey to continue its [planned] itinerary,” the ministry added.
In an official statement, an Egyptian army spokesman mentioned no reference to the vessel in question,but denied any form of military cooperation with Israel.
