In an increasingly interconnected world, the repercussions of global conf licts are far-reaching. Wars cause widespread disruption to international shipping, resulting in supply chain disruption and impacting cargo movement.According to Dirk Siebels, a senior analyst at RiskIntelligence, conf licts often create unprecedented situations and a high degree of uncertainty, as seen in the recent war between Israel and the Palestinian militant organisation Hamas. The ongoing battle between Russia and Ukraine has also heightened risks for the shipping industry.“Aside from the longer-term strategic implications, merchant ship operators also have to consider the day-to-day impact of these conf lict situations,” he said.Kais Makhlouf, a Middle East specialist analyst at RiskIntelligence, noted that the majority of ports in Israel were currently operational, with no significant surge in maritime threats in the waters surrounding Israel at present. Logistics intelligence firms have, however, noted an increase in efforts to traverse the waters around Israel undetected. This includes shutting down global tracking devices.“While the maritime sector is not necessarily the target of organisations such as Hamas and Hezbollah, rockets have struck ports and facilities in Israel. The Port of Ashkelon, Israel’s biggest oil-importing port, is already closed,” said Makhlouf.He added that at present, threats to transit through the Suez Canal and the Northern Red Sea had not increased due to the conf lict. “That does not mean threats in the Red Sea do not exist, but they are presently not linked to the latest Israeli conflict.”According to Control Risks, awareness of risks underpin any organisation’s ability to protect value and mitigate shocks. Understanding and managing political risk has become increasingly important for companies as the global risk and security landscape evolves and new complexities emerge that could impact operations, says the risk analysis organisation.Control Risks director Joseph Buckley says one of the biggest threats not only to the maritime sector but organisations at large when it comes to conf licts such as that in Israel is the immediate uptick in cyber threats. “More than 60 cyber activist groups have launched attacks against entities in Israel and the Palestinian Territories since the start of the conf lict. These have mainly targeted critical national infrastructure, including government, communications and energy. Some groups have claimed attacks against Israel’s early warning radar and rocket alert system, power grid operator NOGA and the DORAD power plant.”
