Israeli ship denied entry to Suez Canal port
Egyptian official says vessel, seeking repairs, lacked proper certification
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Illustrative picture of a container ship. (photo credit: Isaac Harari/Flash90)
SUEZ, Egypt — Egyptian officials have denied permission to an Israeli container ship needing repairs to dock at a port at the southern tip of the Suez Canal.
Brig. Gen. Mohsin Hamad says the ship lacked certification from the International Maritime Organization that is required for entry to Egyptian ports and the canal.
He said Thursday that a fire broke out on the ship several days ago while it was in waters near Djibouti and that its request to enter the port for repairs was rejected.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said it had no information about the ship.
Egypt is the gatekeeper of one of the world’s busiest water corridors and the strategic canal linking the Red Sea to the Mediterranean.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.
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