Cairo: Admiral Osama Rabie, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, announced the canal's readiness to accommodate giant container ships following stability in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb regions. This development comes after a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel in the besieged Gaza Strip.

According to State Information Service Egypt, the Houthis had previously suspended attacks on ships in response to the ceasefire. On October 16, 2025, Houthi military forces reported that their naval operations had targeted Israeli ships violating Yemen's navigation ban, conducting 346 operations across several important maritime routes.

Rabie made his announcement during an inspection of navigation through the canal aboard the giant container ship CMA CGM Jules Verne, which was transiting as part of the southbound convoy from Singapore to Lebanon. The vessel successfully navigated the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait, marking its first southbound transit via Bab el-Mandeb and its third overall transit of the canal.

During the inspection, Rabie also observed the transit of CMA CGM Helium on its maiden voyage through the canal. The ship, measuring 335 meters long and 51 meters wide, with a draft of 9.5 meters and a gross tonnage of 130,000 tons, was part of the southbound convoy from Singapore to Alexandria.

The Chairman highlighted that all necessary measures were implemented to ensure safe passage. These included deploying senior pilots, providing navigational assistance from tugboats, and real-time monitoring from the main traffic office and pilot stations along the canal.

Rabie emphasized the strategic partnership between the Suez Canal Authority and CMA CGM, noting that the transit of large container ships like CMA CGM Jules Verne and CMA CGM Helium underscores the canal's importance as a critical shipping route. He stated that the return of calm in the Red Sea region necessitates shipping lines to consider resuming regular transit through Bab el-Mandeb and the Suez Canal.

Captain Slavko Malasic of CMA CGM Jules Verne expressed satisfaction with the transit, affirming CMA CGM's commitment to using the Suez Canal for its Far East voyages. He also praised the canal's development projects, particularly the Southern Sector Development Project, for enhancing navigational safety and reducing waiting and transit times.