Yemeni rebels warn Israeli ships that violate the “Red Sea ban” as a four-day deadline for resuming aid to Palestinian enclaves.
Houthis in Yemen has announced that it will resume attacks on Israeli ships after allowing them to resume delivery of aid to Gaza after Israel’s deadline.
The armed group said Tuesday that it has “reopened a ban on passing all Israeli ships” in the Red Sea as it did not respect the deadline announced by Israel on Friday.
The Yemeni group, which has been deployed in Iran, said the ban would soon be in effect, adding that “Israeli ships attempting to violate the ban will be targeted in declared operational zones.”
The “ban” also covers the Arabian Sea, Bab al-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden, the group said.
Houtis, which controls many of the poorest countries of the Arabian Peninsula, maintained a campaign aimed at busy sea routes as Israel attacked Gaza.
The attacks affected world trade, forcing massive maritime traffic between Asia and Europe away from the Suez Canal, and were forced to make much longer journeys around Africa.
The group halted drone and missile attacks targeting ships with Israeli links when the Gaza ceasefire was declared in January.
However, in the hopes of putting pressure on Hamas to release the remaining prisoners of war on 7th October 2023, Israel threatened to resume the attack when it blocked all aid in war-covered Gaza on 2nd March.
The attack will continue until Israel allows delivery of aid in Gaza, the Houtis added in a statement Tuesday.
Starting in November 2023, Houthis launched more than 100 attacks targeting shipments off the coast of Yemen, saying their actions are in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza.
Two ships were sunk, another was seized, and at least four sailors were killed aggressively, disrupting the world’s shipping. More crew members were taken prisoner.
The campaign sparked the US and the European Union deploying naval missions to protect transport in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The US and the UK have also launched numerous air force attacks on the status of Hooty in Yemen.
Analysts say these actions have significantly raised Houthis’ profile and have shifted the group from localized threats to those that directly challenge Israeli and Western interests.
Earlier this month, the US designated the Hooti movement, officially known as Ansal Allah, as a “foreign terrorist” organization.
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