A shipment of 155mm artillery shells used by the Israeli army is transported on a truck along a highway between the Jerusalem and Beersheba in southern Israel on October 14, 2023. (Photo by Yuri CORTEZ / AFP) (Photo by YURI CORTEZ/AFP via Getty Images)
German-owned cargo ship MV Kathrin carrying explosives destined for Israel, has docked in the port of Alexandria, Egypt, raising serious concerns among pro-Palestine groups about Egypt’s alleged involvement in supplying military materials to Israel amid its ongoing assault on Gaza. MarineTaffic confirms the ship is in the North Egyptian port.
The ship had been sailing for over two months, repeatedly turned away by various Asian, African and European ports after it was found to be transporting military explosives.
The MV Kathrin’s controversial journey began 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 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.
The ship reportedly unloaded eight containers containing 150,000 kg of RDX explosives, a substance used in military applications. According to the Alexandria Port website, the Egyptian Maritime Consultant Office (EMCO) was responsible for receiving the cargo. The material is thought to be destined to Israeli Military Industries, a subsidiary of Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest military company. The intended use is for manufacturing weapons, such as bombs, mortars and rockets.
According to a statement by the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, EMCO also oversaw the departure of another vessel headed for Ashdod Port in Israel on the same day, raising questions about the connection between the Egyptian company and the operators of the explosives-laden ship.
The BDS statement condemned the Kathrin’s docking in Alexandria, calling it a dangerous and unexpected development. The movement argued that this action could place Egyptian authorities under direct legal responsibility for facilitating genocide, in violation of the Genocide Convention and other international agreements.
The Rome Statute, for example, requires states to avoid any partnership that could contribute to crimes against humanity.
The BDS movement called for pressure on the Egyptian authorities to transparently investigate the role of Alexandria Port and EMCO in handling the military cargo. The movement also pointed out that allowing the Kathrin to dock contradicts both Egypt’s official stance and the popular sentiment within the country, which overwhelmingly opposes Israeli actions in Gaza.
BDS activists, along with transnational coalitions, had previously succeeded in pressuring several countries to block the Kathrin from entering their ports.
Popular pressure had led Portugal to revoke the ship’s flag, which forced it to adopt the German flag.
“The deadly cargo believed to be on board the MV Kathrin must not reach Israel as there is a clear risk that such cargo would contribute to the commission of war crimes against Palestinian civilians,” said Nataša Posel of Amesty International earlier in October.
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed over 41,000 Palestinians and wounded tens of thousands more, with vast areas of the coastal enclave now in ruins.
The war has brought increased scrutiny on arms transfers to Israel, which has been accused of committing genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
On Wednesday, Reuters said human rights lawyers have filed an urgent appeal with Berlin’s Administrative Court seeking to block a 150-ton shipment of military-grade explosives aboard the German cargo ship MV Kathrin, bound for Israel.
The European Legal Support Center (ELSC) says the action was filed on behalf of three Palestinians from Gaza, arguing that the shipment of primarily RDX explosives could be used in munitions for Israel’s military operations in Gaza, potentially contributing to alleged war crimes, which Israel strenuously denies.
