Spane (Washington Insider Magazine)— In the early hours of May 15, the cargo vessel Borkum halted near the Spanish coast, just outside Cartagena. At the port, protesters waved Palestinian flags, demanding the authorities inspect the vessel, suspecting it carried weapons bound for Israel. A group of left-wing European Parliament members sent a letter to Spanish President Pedro Sánchez urging that the ship be prevented from docking. They argued that allowing a ship allegedly loaded with arms for Israel would support a country being investigated for genocide against Palestinians.
Before Spain could take any official action, the Borkum canceled its Cartagena stop and proceeded to the Slovenian port of Koper. Inigo Errejon, the spokesperson for Spain’s left-wing Sumar party, expressed on social media that the Borkum’s decision confirmed suspicions. However, the larger issue remained the vessel’s cargo origins and destination, which had flown under the radar.
Documents obtained by Al Jazeera revealed that the Borkum carried explosives loaded in India, intended for Israel’s port of Ashdod, situated near the Gaza Strip. Tracking data indicated the ship left Chennai, India, on April 2 and avoided the Red Sea due to the risk of attacks by Yemen’s Houthis.
The documentation, accessed by the Solidarity Network Against the Palestinian Occupation (RESCOP), identified the cargo as 20 tons of rocket engines, 12.5 tons of rockets with explosive charges, and other explosives and propellants. Notably, the paperwork required confidentiality, prohibiting any mention of IMI Systems or Israel. IMI Systems, an Israeli defense firm, was purchased by Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer, in 2018.
MLB Manfred Lauterjung Befrachtung, the Borkum’s commercial manager, denied the allegations, stating the vessel did not carry weapons or military cargo to Israel. However, a second vessel from India, the Marianne Danica, was blocked from entering Cartagena on May 21 due to military cargo onboard. Spanish newspaper El Pais reported that it carried 27 tonnes of explosives bound for Israel’s port of Haifa. Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares confirmed the Marianne Danica’s entry was denied for shipping military goods to Israel.
These incidents highlight growing concerns about the clandestine transfer of weapon components from India to Israel, especially as tensions mount in the ongoing Gaza conflict. India’s role in these arms transfers remains shrouded in secrecy, analysts say. Zain Hussain, a researcher at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), pointed out that the lack of verifiable information makes it difficult to track the extent of these transfers.
Collaboration between India and Israel has been extensive, particularly in missile production. Hussain noted that India supplies solid propellants for the Barak missile system, an Israeli-designed surface-to-air missile. Premier Explosives Limited, an Indian company, acknowledged exporting to Israel, reporting record revenues in the first quarter of 2024 due to these shipments.
The links between Indian exports and Israeli military operations extend beyond missiles. Indian-made drones, developed in collaboration with Israel, are also in use. The Adani Elbit Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Complex in Hyderabad, established in 2018, produces Hermes drones for Israel. Human Rights Watch (HRW) has documented the use of Hermes drones in previous conflicts in Gaza, raising concerns that they are being used again in the current war. Though India maintains the drones are for surveillance, the possibility of their use in combat operations cannot be discounted.
India has long positioned itself as a mediator in international conflicts, including the Gaza-Israel situation. However, its involvement in supplying arms to Israel complicates that stance. India’s government, from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, continues to advocate for dialogue over military solutions, but reports of arms transfers may challenge its carefully crafted narrative.
